THE  RANCH  GIRLS  SERIES 


The  Ranch  Girls  at  Rainbow  Lodge 


BOOKS  BY  MARGARET  VANDERCOOK 

THE  RANCH  GIRLS  SERIES 

The  Ranch  Girls  at  Rainbow  Lodge 
The  Ranch  Girls'  Pot  of  Gold 
The  Ranch  Girls  at  Boarding  School 
The  Ranch  Girls  in  Europe 
The  Ranch  Girls  at  Home  Again 
The  Ranch  Girls  and  their  Great  Ad- 
venture 

THE  RED  CROSS  GIRLS  SERIES 

The   Red  Cross  Girls  in  the  British 

Trenches 
The  Red  Cross  Girls  on  the  French 

Firing  Line 
The  Red  Cross  Girls  in  Belgium 
The  Red  Cross  Girls  with  the  Russian 

Army 
The  Red  Cross  Girls  with  the  Italian 

Army 
The  Red  Cross  Girls  Under  the  Stars 

and  Stripes 

STORIES  ABOUT  CAMP  FIRE  GIRLS 

The  Camp  Fire  Girls  at  Sunrise  Hill 
The  Camp  Fire  Girls  Amid  the  Snows 
The  Camp  Fire  Girls  in  the  Outside 

World 
The  Camp  Fire  Girls  Across  the  Sea 
The  Camp  Fire  Girls'  Careers 
The  Camp  Fire  Girls  in  After  Years 
The  Camp  Fire  Girls  in  the  Desert 
The  Camp  Fire  Girls  at  the  End  of  the 

Trail 


She  Waved  Her  Wonderful  Pater  Before  Her  Friends 


THE  RANCH  GIRLS  SERIES 


The  Ranch  Girls 


-AT- 


Rainbow  Lodge 


MARGARET  VANDERCOOK 


ILLUSTRATED  BY 
HUGH  A.  BODINE 


THE   JOHN   C.   WINSTON    COMPANY 
PHILADELPHIA 


Copyright,  191 1,  by 
Tub  John  C.  Winston  Qo» 


PRINTED  IN    U.   S.   A. 


?  s  ? 

CONTENTS 

H 


Chapter  Page 

I.     The  Lost  Trail 9 

II.  In  the  Shadow  of  the  Giant's  Face.  .  27 

III.  Frieda  and  the  Other  Girl 39 

IV.  The  Rescue 54 

V.     Seeking  Advice 66 

VI.  The  Arrival  at  the  House  Party  ....  78 

VII.     A  Visit  to  Old  Laska 86 

VIII.     The  Escape  from  the  Dance 99 

IX.     Jacqueline's  Misfortune 108 

X.    Back  to  Rainbow  Lodge 122 

XI.     Breaking  the  News 132 

XII.  On  the  Other  Side  of  the  Divide.  .  . .  147 

XIII.  The  Wet  Blanket 160 

XIV.  An  Unfortunate  Arrival 172 

XV.     All  Save,  Jack! 181 

XVI.     When  Greek  Meets  Greek 193 

XVII.     The  Round-Up 202 

XVIII.     A  Race  for  Life 218 

XIX.     No  News 227 

XX.     Olive 243 

XXI.     The  Way  of  Escape 258 

XXII.     A  Voice  in  the  Night 266 

XXIII.  Jack  Is  Happy 275 

XXIV.  Christmas  Eve 282 


M692879 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


She  Wavee  Her  Wonderful  Paper  before 

Her  Friends Frontispiece 

PAGB 

Frieda  Flung  Herself  Valiantly  in  the 

Path  of  the  Indian  Woman 40 

"Can  I  Do  Anything  for  You,  Ma'am?" 173 

Someone  Crept  up  behind  Her  with  the 

Stealthiness  Possible  only  to  an  Indian     243 


The  Ranch  Girls  at  Rainbow  Lodge. 

CHAPTER  I. 

THE   LOST  TRAIL. 

/^VER  the  brown  plain  a  shaggy  broncho 
trotted  slowly,  with  its  head  drooping. 

A  girl  stood  up  in  her  saddle  with  one  hand 
to  her  lips.  "Halloo!  Halloo !"  she  cried. 
"  I  wonder  where  on  earth  I  am?  I  thought 
I  knew  every  inch  of  this  country,  yet  here 
I  am  lost  and  I  can't  be  but  a  few  miles  from 
our  ranch.  I  must  have  missed  the  trail 
somewhere.  Jim!  Jim  Colter!  If  there  is 
anybody  near,  please  answer  me." 

Jacqueline  Ralston  rode  astride.  Her  eyes 
and  cheeks  were  glowing  and  her  gold  brown 
hair,  deep  grey  eyes  and  brilliant  color, 
formed  an  unusually  attractive  picture. 

She  leaned  over  and  gave  her  pony  a  peni- 
tent hug.  "Poor  little  Hotspur,  you  shall 
have  a  rest  pretty  soon,  even  if  I  have  to 
spend  the  night  out  of  doors.  But  won't 
Jean  and  Frieda  be  frightened?  Jim  will 
scour  the  prairies  for  me." 

(p) 


10       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

The  pony  was  treading  through  a  vast  field 
of  purple  clover  fading  to  brown  in  the  autumn 
sun.  It  was  just  before  sunset.  Away  to  the 
right,  Jacqueline  could  see  a  group  of  slow 
moving  objects,  which  she  knew  to  be  cattle. 
Half  a  mile  on  the  opposite  side  was  a  sparse 
group  of  evergreen  trees  and  low  bushes. 
But  there  was  nothing  else  that  broke  the 
vision  of  a  long  line  of  level  country,  until  the 
snow-capped  peaks  of  the  distant  mountain? 
shone  like  gold  in  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun. 

"We  will  try  the  trees,  Hotspur/' Jacque- 
line urged  coaxingly.  "  Perhaps  we  may  find 
a  trail  over  there.  Anyhow  I  believe  I  would 
rather  be  a  solitary  babe  in  the  woods,  than 
to  wander  around  here  in  the  alfalfa  fields 
until  to-morrow  morning." 

The  girl  wore  a  short,  brown  corduroy 
jacket  and  skirt,  leather  leggings  and  riding 
boots.  Over  the  pommel  of  her  saddle  hung 
a  bunch  of  silver  grouse  and  a  smart  little  rifle 
was  suspended  at  her  side. 

"  I  am  desperately  hungry,"  she  announced 
aloud.  "  I  do  wish  I  had  a  match  so  I  could 
light  a  fire.  Jolly  good  advice  that  of  Jim's 
for  a  ranch  girl/never  try  to  find  your  match, 
always  carry  it  with  you.'" 


THE  LOST  TRAIL  11 

Jacqueline  laughed.  She  was  not  willing 
to  confess  that  she  was  tired,  although  she 
had  been  riding  since  eight  o'clock  that  morn- 
ing. Against  the  wishes  of  her  sister  Frieda, 
her  cousin  Jean,  and  the  overseer  of  their 
ranch,  Jim  Colter,  she  had  gone  off  alone  to 
inspect  the  corral  which  had  been  recently 
built  to  protect  their  sheep  for  the  winter. 

Inside  the  woods  the  way  was  darker  and 
there  was  no  sign  of  a  road.  Jacqueline  let 
the  reins  slacken  on  her  pony's  neck.  Really 
Hotspur  would  have  to  find  the  right  trail 
home,  if  they  were  to  reach  the  ranch  house 
that  night.  She  could  hear  the  rabbits  and 
squirrels  scurrying  back  into  their  retreats. 
They  were  not  accustomed  to  being  disturbed 
at  their  supper  time  and  at  first  there  was  no 
other  sound. 

"Who  goes  there ?"  suddenly  a  rough  voice 
demanded,  and  a  horse  came  plunging  through 
an  opening  in  the  trees. 

Jacqueline's  color  paled.  She  recognized 
the  rider,  a  boy  of  about  sixteen,  nearly  her 
own  age.  "  I  am  Jacqueline  Ralston,"  she 
answered  quietly.  "  I  have  lost  the  trail. 
Will  you  please  show  me  the  way  to  the  Rain- 
bow Ranch?" 


12       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

The  young  fellow  laughed  rudely.  "Miss 
Ralston,  is  it?"  he  sneered.  "Don't  tell  me 
you  are  lost  on  our  ranch.  You  have  been 
over  here  spying  at  our  cattle.  Just  you 
trot  along  home  as  fast  as  you  can.  I  shall 
report  to  my  father  what  I  caught  you 
doing."  The  boy's  light  blue  eyes  blazed 
angrily. 

Jacqueline  had  reined  in  her  pony  and 
waited.  Her  temper  was  not  her  strong  point, 
but  she  replied  politely :  "  I  am  not  spying, 
Dan  Norton;  I  wonder  why  you  should  think 
it  necessary.  I  will  leave  your  ranch  as  soon 
as  I  can  get  away  from  it.  Will  you  please 
show  me  the  trail?" 

Jacqueline  held  her  head  very  high. 
"  Won't  you  tell  me?"  she  asked  again.  "  Be- 
cause we  happen  to  be  enemies  is  no  reason 
why  you  shouldn't  believe  my  word."  The 
young  girl's  tones  were  gentle,  but  her  face 
was  white  with  anger  in  the  gathering  dusk. 
Her  firm  red  lips  were  pressed  tight  together 
to  keep  her  from  saying  the  things  she  really 
felt. 

Dan  Norton  rode  closer  toward  her  and  for 
reply  struck  her  pony  sharply  with  his  short 
riding  whip.     Tired  little  Hotspur  quivered 


THE  LOST  TRAIL  13 

with  pain,  but  stood  still  under  his  mistress' 
gentle  words. 

"Don't  do  that  again,  Dan,"  Jacqueline  pro- 
tested,  feeling  the  hot  blood  rush  to  her  face 
and  then  leave  her  cold  and  still  with  anger. 
"There  is  not  another  person  in  Wyoming 
who  would  be  so  rude  to  me.  But  there  has 
been  trouble  enough  between  you  and  us. 
I  shall  not  speak  of  this,  but  I  shall  never  be 
able  to  forgive  you  to  the  longest  day  I 
live;"  and  Jacqueline's  grey  eyes  looked  so 
proudly  and  so  scornfully  into  the  boy's  that 
his  own  dropped. 

"Your  way's  to  the  left,"  he  muttered. 
"  If  you  ride  quick,  you  will  soon  be  on  the 
boundary  of  your  own  ranch.  Hurry,  there 
is  some  one  else  coming  this  way." 

Jacqueline  did  not  stir.  A  few  minutes 
before,  she  would  have  trotted  off  gladly. 
Now  nothing  would  have  induced  her  to  go. 
She  would  not  run  away  from  her  enemy. 
Indeed  she  preferred  to  explain  her  presence 
on  his  ranch  to  Mr.  Norton. 

In  the  silence  between  the  two  young  people 
another  voice  entered,  but  it  was  not  Mr. 
Norton's.     Some  one  was  singing. 

Dan  Norton  rode  hurriedly  out  of  sight  and 


14       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Jacqueline  lifted  her  rifle,  letting  it  rest  in  her 
arm. 

"  If  a  body  meet  a  body, 

Comm'  through  the  rye: 

If  a  body  kiss  a  body, 

Need  a  body  cry? 

Every  lassie  has  her  laddie, 

Nane  the}^  say  have — 
"Oh!"  the  song  stopped  abruptly.  The 
singer  threw  up  both  hands  and  burst  into  a 
merry  boyish  laugh.  "I  surrender  in  the  name 
of —in  the  name  of  most  anything,  if  you  will 
only  put  down  that  gun,"  he  declared.  "  Who 
would  have  thought  of  meeting  a  girl  in  these 
woods?  Whatever  are  you  doing  here? 
Poaching?  No,  I  believe  you  don't  have 
game  preserves  in  this  country,  so  poaching 
isn't  against  your  law."  The  stranger 
laughed,  though  he  had  taken  off  his  hat  and 
bowed  courteously  to  his  fellow  traveler. 
"  Please  tell  me,  are  you  Rosalind  in  the  forest 
of  Arden?  You  look  like  her,  although  I  never 
heard  of  her  on  horseback,"  he  ended  merrily. 
Jacqueline  bit  her  lips.  The  young  man 
was  evidently  a  newcomer  in  the  neighbor- 
hood and  at  any  other  time  Jacqueline  would 
have  liked  him.     He  must  have  been  about 


THE  LOST  TRAIL  15 

seventeen  and  was  tall  and  slender,  with 
light  brown  hair  and  clever  brown  eyes.  His 
dress  was  that  of  a  cowboy,  but  Jacqueline 
saw  with  a  feeling  of  instant  disdain  that  his 
clothes  were  too  new  and  his  face  too  white 
for  him  to  have  lived  long  in  her  country. 
Besides  he  did  not  ride  or  talk  like  a  Westerner. 

"  I  am  Frank  Kent,  at  your  service/ '  he 
explained,  puzzled  by  Jacqueline's  haughty 
silence.  "  I  am  an  Englishman  and  I  don't 
quite  know  what  I  ought  to  do  or  say  out  in 
Wyoming.  But  may  I  be  of  any  service  to 
you?" 

Jacqueline's  feeling  of  hurt  and  anger  began 
to  subside  and  she  smiled  in  a  more  friendly 
fashion.  Frank  Kent  decided  that  he  had 
never  seen  such  a  pretty  girl  before  in  his  life. 
Had  she  been  a  city  girl,  her  skin  would 
have  been  fair,  but  from  her  outdoor  life  it 
had  become  exquisitely  darkened  by  the 
wind  and  sun  of  the  prairies.  Her  hair  was 
like  bronze  and  her  color  a  deep  rose. 

"I  ought  not  to  be  asking  favors  of  you," 
Jacqueline  replied  in  her  usual  manner. 
"  You  are  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land,  while  I 
have  lived  out  West  since  I  was  a  baby.  But 
can  you  show  me  the   trail  to  the  Rainbow 


16       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Ranch?  Anyhow  tell  me  how  to  get  off  of 
this  place.  I  have  never  been  on  it  before, 
and — ."  To  save  her  life  Jacqueline  could  not 
keep  her  voice  from  trembling. 

"  Surely  I  can  show  you,"  Frank  answered. 
He  spoke  with  such  a  funny  English  accent, 
that  Jacqueline  would  have  liked  to  have 
made  fun  of  him,  if  she  had  known  him  better. 

"  I  have  heard  a  lot  about  the  girls  who  run 
Rainbow  Ranch, ' '  he  went  on  quickly.  ' '  They 
sound  like  such  an  awfully  good  sort  that 
I  have  made  Dan  Norton  tell  me  a  lot  about 
them.  I  am  visiting  him,  surely  you  must 
know  him,"  the  young  fellow  concluded 
eagerly. 

What  in  the  world  had  he  said?  Frank 
Kent  was  startled.  The  girl  he  had  just  met 
seemed  quite  friendly  a  moment  before.  Now 
she  stiffened  up  on  her  pony,  her  cheeks 
turned  scarlet  and  her  eyes  flashed. 

"I  won't  trouble  you  any  further,"  she 
announced.  "  I  will  find  my  own  way  home 
from  here."  Without  another  word  or  a 
backward  glance,  Jacqueline  gave  her  pony  a 
gentle  cut  and  Hotspur  galloped  quickly  away. 

"  Whew,"  Frank  Kent  whistled,  "methinks 
gome  one  told  me  that  the  people  one  met  out 


THE  LOST  TRAIL  17 

West  were  awfully  friendly  and  informal. 
That  girl  was  as  touchy  as  you  find  them. 
But  I  wonder  who  she  is?  I  think  I  will  ride 
after  her  and  show  her  the  trail,  even  if  she 
is  so  high  and  mighty." 

Jacqueline  pretended  not  to  hear  the 
young  man  trotting  along  behind  her,  and 
did  not  turn  her  head.  She  rode  faster 
and  faster  until  a  sound  like  a  stifled  moan 
arrested  her.  Jacqueline  paused  and  saw 
that  the  young  fellow  who  had  been  so 
polite  to  her  a  few  minutes  before  was 
ghastly  white.  He  was  swaying  so  in  his 
saddle  that  he  had  not  the  strength  to  stop 
his  horse. 

Jacqueline  caught  his  bridle.  "Rest  a 
minute/ '  she  urged  gently.  "You  will  soon 
be  all  right.  You  have  ridden  too  far  and 
you  are  not  used  to  it.  People  always  do  too 
much,  when  they  first  come  to  Wyoming. 
My  name  is  Jacqueline  Ralston  and  I  am  one 
of  the  girls  at  the  Rainbow  Ranch.  I  am 
sorry  I  was  rude  to  you  a  little  while  ago, 
but  the  Nortons  are  not  our  friends."  Jac- 
queline was  talking  so  that  the  young  man 
could  get  his  breath.  She  could  not  help 
admiring  the    brave    fight    he    made.      He 


18       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

seemed  to  be  dreadfully  ashamed  of  his  own 
weakness. 

"  You  will  let  me  show  you  the  right  trail, 
won't  you?"  he  asked.  "  I  am  sorry  you  are 
not  friendly  with  my  hosts.  I  thought  I 
heard  you  talking  to  Dan,  when  I  rode  up  to 
you,  but  that  won't  matter  about  me,  will 
it?  I  don't  know  anything  about  your 
quarrel  and  if  we  were  properly  introduced, 
don't  you  think  we  could  be  friends?  I  can't 
tell  you  how  plucky  I  think  it  is  for  you  three 
girls  to  be  managing  your  own  ranch.  Don't 
you  think  you  might  tell  me  a  thing  or  two 
about  it?  It  is  pretty  lonely  out  here  for  a 
stranger." 

The  young  fellow  looked  so  nice,  and  so  ill, 
in  spite  of  his  efforts  to  hide  it,  that  Jacque- 
line almost  relented.  Then  the  thought  of 
Dan  Norton's  rudeness  and  the  long  feud 
between  them  swept  over  her,  and  Jacqueline 
shook  her  head  firmfy. 

"  I  am  sorry,"  she  returned.  "  With  any 
one  else  it  would  not  matter,  but  we  can't 
be  friendly  with  any  guest  of  the  Norton's." 
Jacqueline  hesitated,  "  I  can't  explain  it  to 
you,  there  isn't  time.  Good-bye.  I  know 
the  way  home  from  here." 


THE  LOST  TRAIL  19 

Frank  Kent  watched  Jacqueline  ride  out  of 
sight,  sitting  on  her  pony  as  though  she  had 
been  made  on  it,  like  a  figure  cut  from  bronze, 
all  in  soft  tones  of  gold  and  brown. 

It  was  quite  dark  when  Jacqueline  at  last 
spied  the  lights  of  her  own  ranch  house 
twinkling  at  her  warmly  through  the  open 
windows  and  doors. 

The  broncho  hurried  faster,  forgetting  his 
hard  day  and  Jacqueline  talked  low  in  his  ear. 

"Home  and  supper,  Hotspur!  See  the 
lights  of  home  ahead.  Soon  they  will  hear  us 
coming.  Suppose  I  give  our  call  and  relieve 
the  suspense."  Three  times  in  rapid  suc- 
cession, Jacqueline  touched  her  red  lips  with 
her  slender  fingers  and  gave  a  shrill,  clear 
whistle  like  an  Indian's  call. 

Instantly  figures  moved  about  in  the  ranch 
house.  A  dark  lantern  was  swung  off  its 
place  over  the  front  door  and  a  man  and  two 
girls  hurried  down  the  drive.  Jacqueline 
was  lifted  off  her  horse.  Her  sister,  Frieda, 
seized  her  by  one  arm,  her  cousin,  Jean,  by 
the  other. 

" What  has  kept  you  so  long?"  Frieda  de- 
manded anxiously. 

"  If  you  have  had  an  adventure  and  wouldn't 


20       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

let  me  go  with  you  to-day,  I  shall  never  get 
over  it,"  Jean  insisted.  "Come  into  the 
house  this  minute.  Do  tell  us  where  you 
have  been.  Jim  telephoned  over  to  the  other 
side  of  the  ranch  three  hours  back,  but  the  sheep 
herders  said  you  started  for  home  long  ago. 
We  have  been  frightened  to  death  ever  since." 

Frieda  pulled  at  her  sister's  jacket.  Jean, 
although  she  kept  up  her  scolding,  got  a  pair 
of  soft,  red  felt  slippers  and  placed  them  in- 
vitingly in  front  of  the  big,  living-room  fire. 

Rainbow  Lodge  was  built  of  pine  logs. 
The  great  sitting-room  was  forty  feet  long  and 
two-thirds  as  wide  and  it  looked  like  a  man's 
room,  but  the  three  ranch  girls  did  not  know 
it.  The  floor  was  covered  with  buffalo  robes 
and  beautiful  bright  Navajo  blankets  made 
by  the  Indians  in  the  nearby  villages,  and  the 
head  of  an  elk  thrusting  forth  giant  antlers  dom- 
inated the  scene  from  above  the  stone  fireplace. 
An  Andrew  Jackson  table  made  of  hewn  logs, 
with  a  smooth  polished  top,  occupied  one  side 
of  the  fireplace,  holding  a  reading  lamp  and 
some  half-opened  books. 

In  another  corner  the  home-made  book 
shelves  were  filled  with  much-read  novels  and 
books  of  travel.     There  were  low,  comfortable 


THE  LOST  TRAIL  21 

chairs  about  everywhere.  It  was  an  odd 
room  to  be  occupied  by  three  young  girls, 
but  a  very  noble  one.  The  ranch  pirls  had 
kept  it  just  as  their  father  had  left  it  when 
he  died,  six  months  before. 

Jacqueline  gave  a  comfy  sigh.  "I  am 
glad  to  be  at  home,"  she  murmured.  "  I 
haven't  had  any  special  adventure.  Jean,  I 
know  you  will  be  disgusted  with  me,  but  I  got 
lost  and  wandered  over  on  the  Norton  ranch. 
I  met  Dan  Norton  and  he  was  horrid  to  me. 
Oh,  Frieda  darling,  hasn't  Aunt  Ellen  saved 
me  anything  to  eat?  I  am  simply  starving," 
Jacqueline  ended,  anxious  to  change  the  sub- 
ject. 

Aunt  Ellen  came  in  at  this  moment  bearing 
a  waiter.  She  was  nearly  six  feet  tall,  part 
Indian  and  part  colored,  and  she  had  lived 
with  the  Ralstons  ever  since  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ralston  came  to  Wyoming  from  the  East, 
bringing  Jack,  who  wras  then  only  two  years 
old. 

The  old  woman  was  frowning  and  shaking 
her  head,  as  she  put  down  Jack's  supper. 
"Ought  never  to  have  ridden  off  across  the 
ranch  alone,  ought  not  to  bo  coming  back 
home  way  after  dark.     I  am  sure  the  master 


32       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

never  would  have  liked  you  chilluns  living 
here  and  trying  to  run  things  for  yourself/' 
she  muttered. 

Jack  flushed,  although  she  patted  the  old 
woman's  hand  affectionately  and  said  noth- 
ing. Jack  knew  she  deserved  the  scolding 
and  that  she  would  have  another  from  Jim 
Colter,  the  manager  of  their  ranch,  in 
the  morning.  To-night  he  had  led  Hotspur 
away  without  a  word  and  retired  to  his  own 
quarters. 

No  one,  excepting  strangers,  ever  called 
Jacqueline  Ralston  anything  but  Jack.  She 
never  thought  of  herself  by  her  pretty  French 
name,  except  when  she  wished  to  appear  very 
grown  up  and  impressive.  As  for  little 
Frieda,  she  had  been  born  at  Rainbow  Ranch 
house  thirteen  years  before  on  Christmas  eve. 
She  was  such  a  fair  little  German-looking 
baby,  with  her  blue  eyes  and  flaxen  hair,  that 
her  mother  gave  her  the  pretty  German  name 
of  Frieda,  which  means  peace.  Mrs.  Ralston 
died  when  Frieda  was  only  a  few  months  old, 
but  the  little  girl  had  fairly  earned  her  name 
all  her  life.  Peace  and  War,  Jean  used  to  call 
the  two  sisters,  when  she  wanted  to  tease 
Jack,  for  Jacqueline  was   as   high-tempered 


THE  LOST  TRAIL  23 

and  determined  as  Frieda  waa  gentle  and 
serene. 

Jean  was  a  slender,  graceful  maiden,  with 
hair  and  eyes  of  the  same  nut  brown  color. 
She  had  come  to  live  at  the  ranch  ten  years 
before,  when  her  mother,  Mr.  Ralston' s  sister, 
died,  and  Mr.  Ralston  decided  it  would  be 
better  to  bring  up  three  motherless  girls  than 
two.  Jean  had  a  gentle,  far-away  expression, 
though  Jack  always  asserted  that  Jean  was 
present  when  she  wanted  to  be.  She  only 
dreamed  dreams  and  wore  her  aloof  expres- 
sion when  people  bored  her,  or  when  she  felt 
sad  and  thought  she  needed  sympathy.  Jack 
and  Frieda  knew  no  difference  in  their  feeling 
for  Jean  and  for  each  other. 

When  Jacqueline  finished  supper,  she  curled 
herself  in  a  big  armchair  in  front  of  the  fire. 
Frieda  sat  on  a  low  stool  at  her  feet  while 
Jean,  with  an  open  book,  was  not  far  away. 
Jean  was  the  reader  of  the  three  girls,  but  to- 
night her  book  was  neglected. 

"  Out  with  it,  Jack/7  Jean  insisted  calmly. 
"You  know  perfectly  well  that  you  haven't 
told  us  all  that  happened  to  you  this  afternoon. 
Fire  away  and  get  it  over  with,  I  want  to 
finish  my  book  to-night." 


24       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

After  much  urging,  Jack  told  her  story  in 
full  and  Jean  flung  her  book  down  and  danced 
about  the  room  on  her  tip-toes,  she  was  so 
angry,  when  she  heard  how  Dan  Norton  had 
treated  her.  But  she  had  a  different  feeling 
about  the  young  English  fellow. 

"I  really  think  you  were  rather  horrid, 
Jacqueline  Ralston/'  she  announced  coolly. 
"Of  course  we  can't  be  having  visitors  or 
making  friends  with  any  one  visiting  those 
hateful  Nortons,  but  I  think  you  might 
have  told  that  young  fellow  we  would  be  nice 
to  him  when  we  met  him  other  places.  He 
is  a  far-off  cousin  of  the  Nortons,  whose  health 
broke  down  while  he  was  at  college  in  Eng- 
land and  his  people  sent  him  over  here  to 
recover.  His  father  is  a  Lord,  or  a  Sir  or 
something,  I  can't  remember  which.  But 
Mrs.  Simpson  says  he  is  awfully  nice  and—" 

Jack  put  both  fingers  in  her  ears.  "  For 
goodness  sake,  hush,  Jean  Bruce,"  she  pro- 
tested. "  You  are  such  a  snob.  What  differ- 
ence can  it  make  to  us,  whether  this  Frank 
Kent  is  a  lord  or  a  prizefighter?  We  certainly 
can't  have  anything  to  do  with  him.  I 
shan't  even  speak  to  him  again  if  I  can  help  it. 
For  the  life  of  me,  Jean,  I  don't  see  how  you 


THE  LOST  TRAIL  25 

happen  to  find  out  the  gossip  in  Wyoming 
with  our  ranches  five  miles  apart." 

Jean's  brown  eyes  sparkled.  She  and  Jack 
had  many  differences  of  opinion,  but  to-night 
Jack  was  tired  and  her  cousin  decided  not  to 
answer  back. 

"  Have  you  gotten  your  lessons,  Frieda  ?" 
Jack  asked  gently  a  moment  later,  kissing 
her  hand  apologetically  to  Jean. 

Frieda  shook  her  head.  She  had  two  long 
blonde  plaits,  like  a  little  German  girl,  with  a 
curl  at  the  end  of  each  one  of  them.  Her 
cheeks  were  a  faint  pink,  and  her  nose  tilted 
just  enough  to  curl  her  lips  up  into  a  smile. 

"No,"  she  replied  calmly.  "Jean  offered 
to  hear  me  recite,  but  I  didn't  feel  like  it. 
You  and  Jean  haven't  studied  your  French 
for  three  evenings.  I  don't  see  why  I  have 
to  do  all  the  studying,  because  I  am  the  young- 
est. When  we  planned  to  live  by  ourselves 
this  winter,  you  and  Jean  declared  that  you 
were  going  to  study  three  or  four  hours  every 
day." 

Jack  pulled  Frieda's  hair  and  Jean  had  just 
picked  up  her  French  grammar  with  a  sigh 
when  there  came  the  noise  of  some  one  riding 
up  to  the  ranch  house. 


26       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

The  three  girls  flew  to  the  window.  It  was 
too  dark  to  recognize  the  figure  on  horseback. 
But  a  few  moments  later,  Aunt  Ellen  brought 
in  an  envelope  addressed  to  "  Miss  Jacqueline 
Ralston." 

It  was  a  surly  note  of  apology  from  Dan 
Norton  for  his  rudeness  to  her  in  the  after- 
noon. The  girls  wondered  what  in  the  world 
had  induced  him  to  write  it. 

Long  after  Jean  and  Frieda  were  asleep, 
Jacqueline  lay  awake.  She  was  the  oldest 
and  most  responsible  member  of  the  ranch 
girl  family  of  three.  Frieda  was  right,  she 
and  Jean  had  been  neglecting  their  studies 
shamefully.  Now  and  then  Jack  could  not 
help  thinking  that  perhaps  it  was  not  wise  for 
them  to  live  without  a  teacher  or  a  chaperon. 
They  did  not  want  to  grow  up  perfect  green- 
horns, yet  how  they  hated  the  idea  of  intro- 
ducing a  stranger  into  their  home  at  Rainbow 
Ranch.  Jack  was  still  puzzling,  when  she 
fell  asleep,  with  the  familiar  sound  in  her  ears 
of  the  far-off  lowing  of  the  wild  cattle  across 
the  prairie  and  the  distant  bark  of  the  faithful 
sheep  dogSo 


CHAPTER  II. 

IN  THE   SHADOW   OF  THE   GIANT'S   FACE. 

T^RIEDA    walked    ankle    deep    in    purple 

violets.     Her  hands  were  full  of  them 

and  she  carried  a  brimful  basket  on  her  arm. 

"What  a  picture  you  are,  Frieda/'  Jack 
called,  as  she  came  out  on  the  broad  veranda 
of  the  ranch  house  at  about  eight  o'clock  the 
next  morning. 

"  I  don't  care  if  we  don't  make  our  ever- 
lasting fortunes  with  our  violet  beds,  they 
are  just  too  sweet  for  anything !  Jean  is  com- 
ing out  to  help  you  pick  the  flowers  in  a 
minute ;  I  have  got  to  go  down  to  the  rancho 
to  make  my  peace  with  Jim." 

Jack  walked  briskly  along.  It  was  a 
gentle  October  day  with  a  bright  sun  and 
warm  wind.  You  seemed  to  be  able  to  see 
half  way  across  the  world,  the  horizon  line 
stretched  so  far  beyond  you. 

One  of  the  ways  in  which  Jean  and  Frieda 
had  been  trying  to  help  to  make  the  ranch  pay 
was  by  starting  a  violet  farm.  Nearly  an  acre 
of  land  near  the  house  had  been  irrigated  and 

(27) 


28       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

glistened  with  the  dark  green  leaves  and 
purple  stars  of  the  young  plants.  The  flowers 
were  to  be  covered  with  glass  later  on.  Now 
the  fresh  morning  air  was  fragrant  with  their 
perfume.  Of  course  the  flowers  had  not  }^et 
had  time  to  pay  for  the  expense  of  planting 
them,  but  Frieda  was  eagerly  calculating  how 
many  bunches  she  would  have  to  send  to  the 
nearest  town,  when  Jean  joined  her. 

"  Don't  you  wish  we  could  spend  this  whole 
day  out  of  doors,  Jean?"  Frieda  suggested. 
"  I  forgot  to  say  anything  about  it  to  Jack, 
but  you  know  how  we  have  talked  about  riding 
over  to  the  Giant's  Canon  to  have  our  lunch. 
Aunt  Ellen  can  pack  our  saddle  bags,  and  we 
can  join  Jack  at  the  rancho." 

After  a  ten  minutes'  walk,  Jacqueline  Rals- 
ton touched  the  brim  of  her  broad  sombrero 
hat  with  a  military  salute  and  brought  her 
heels  sharply  together,  when  a  tall  figure  came 
down  the  path  toward  her  from  the  rancho 
with  his  hands  deep  in  his  old  leather  trousers. 
She  was  near  the  mess-house,  where  the  men 
who  worked  the  ranch  had  their  quarters. 
The  girls  called  it  "  Jim's  rancho,"  to  distin- 
guish it  from  their  own  home  half  a  mile 
away. 


SHADOW  OF  THE  GIANT'S  FACE  29 

Jim  Colter  returned  Jack's  salute  gravely. 
He  was  a  handsome  man  of  about  thirty,  with 
black  hair  and  skin  almost  as  swarthy  as  a 
Mexican's.  The  queer  thing  about  his  appear- 
ance was  that  his  eyes  were  as  blue  and  as 
gentle  as  a  baby's,  except  when  he  was  angry 
and  then  there  was  no  harder  man  in  Wyoming 
to  deal  with  than  the  overseer  of  Rainbow 
Ranch.  Jack  would  not  have  dared  to  let  him 
know  how  rude  Dan  Norton  had  been  to  her. 

Jim  was  a  man  of  mystery.  He  came  from 
goodness  knows  where;  no  one  knew  any- 
thing of  his  past.  One  day,  many  years 
before,  he  rode  up  to  the  ranch  house  nearly 
dead  from  fatigue  and  hunger.  Mr.  Ralston 
took  him  in  and  he  never  went  away  again. 
But  he  would  not  say  one  word  about  himself 
and  no  one  dared  to  ask  him  many  questions, 
because  his  blue  eyes  would  suddenly  grow 
black  and  angry  and  he  would  look  as  though 
he  were  recalling  something  he  wanted  to 
forget. 

Jim  was  devoted  to  Jack  and  Jean,  but 
Frieda  was  his  special  favorite.  She  was  only 
two  years  old  when  he  came  to  live  at  Rain- 
bow Ranch,  but  he  taught  her  to  ride  and  to 
swim,  when  other  babies  were  only  just  learn- 


30       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

ing  to  walk.  He  and  Mr.  Ralston  used  to  ride 
all  over  the  great  ranch,  with  Frieda  tucked 
up  in  front  of  Jim's  saddle  and  Jack  perched 
behind  her  father's  when  both  little  girls  were 
almost  babies.  By  the  time  she  was  fourteen, 
Jacqueline  Ralston,  who  was  her  father's 
shadow,  knew  the  trick  of  lassoing.  There 
was  not  a  cowboy  on  the  ranch  who  could 
ride  faster,  shoot  straighter,  or  understood 
more  about  the  business  of  caring  for  the  cattle 
and  the  sheep  than  she  did,  and  since  Mr. 
Ralston's  death,  Jim  had  always  consulted 
Jack  about  each  new  business  venture. 

Jack  made  her  report  of  yesterday's  expedi- 
tion, but  without  a  word  of  her  meeting  with 
Dan.  Jim  said  nothing  about  the  fright 
Jack  had  given  them,  but  Jack  found  herself 
blushing  and  feeling  like  a  little  girl,  instead 
of  the  head  of  a  thousand  acre  ranch  as  he 
looked  at  her. 

"  It  really  wasn't  my  fault  I  was  out  late, 
yesterday,  Jim,"  Jack  apologized.  "But  we 
girls  have  decided  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf. 
We  have  made  up  our  minds  to  stay  at  home 
and  study,  until  we  are  regular  blue  stockings." 

Jim  laughed  and  at  this  moment  glanced 
up  the  road.     Jean  and  Frieda  were  riding 


SHADOW  OF  THE  GIANT'S  FACE  31 

calmly  toward  them.  Jean  was  leading  Hot- 
spur and  the  three  girls'  saddle  bags  were 
packed  as  though  they  were  pioneers  traveling 
across  the  Deadwood  trail  to  the  gold  regions 
of  California. 

Jim  chuckled.  "  Looks  like  a  party  of 
bluestockings  from  Boston,  Jack,  coming  this 
way,  'specially  that  there  fishing  tackle  Jean's 
carrying.  Where  was  you  expecting  to  spend 
to-day?"  he  drawled  in  a  funny  Western 
fashion. 

Frieda  tucked  a  small  bunch  of  violets  in 
the  buttonhole  of  Jim's  khaki  shirt.  She 
wore  a  blue  riding  suit  and  a  big  Mexican  hat 
like  Jack's  and  her  face  looked  very  young 
and  babyish  under  it.  "  We  are  going  to  the 
Giant's  Canon,  Jim,"  she  said  apologetically. 
"It's  such  a  dream  of  a  day,  but  Jack  doesn't 
know.  We  have  brought  her  sketch  book 
and  Jean's  along  and  I  have  my  history,  so 
we  can  get  our  lessons  outdoors  and  then  we 
can  make  a  fire  and  have  lunch  in  my  own 
little  cave  in  the  rocks." 

"We  will  be  back  early,  Jim,"  Jean  added. 

"All  right,"  Jim  agreed.  His  eyes  twinkled 
at  the  vision  of  Jean  and  Jack  sketching 
under  the  shadow  of  the  great  stone  peaks 


32       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

whose  broken  outline  looked  like  the  profile 
of  a  giant's  face.  The  Giant's  Canon  was  five 
miles  across  the  plains,  but  the  ranch  girls 
were  in  the  habit  of  riding  over  to  it.  Be- 
tween the  ridges  of  rock,  nestling  in  the  deep 
gorge,  were  little  lakes  filled  with  shimmering 
trout.  One  of  the  rocky  caverns  in  the  canon, 
Frieda  had  adopted  as  her  very  own.  The 
girls  always  spoke  of  it  as  Frieda's  cave. 

Frieda's  stone  castle  was  really  two  stories 
high.  A  large  flat  rock  jutted  out  over  a 
second  one  about  eight  feet  below  it  while  a 
flight  of  natural  stairs  ran  from  the  ground 
to  the  floor  of  the  cave. 

Frieda  unpacked  the  saddle  bags,  while 
Jean  and  Jack  tethered  the  ponies  to  a  great 
cottonwood  tree  not  far  from  the  edge  of  the 
gorge.  The  place  was  entirely  deserted,  ex- 
cept for  an  eagle  that  swooped  out  of  her  eyrie 
and  floated  above  the  newcomers'  heads. 
Frieda  slipped  down  the  stairs  into  her  cave, 
spread  out  her  pony's  blanket  and  set  to  house- 
keeping, humming  as  cheerfully  as  though 
she  had  been  in  her  own  private  room  at  the 
ranch.  She  was  not  in  the  least  awed  by  the 
grandeur  and  loneliness  of  the  scenery  about 
her.     Indeed  Frieda  was  so  much  at  home 


SHADOW  OF  THE  GIANT'S  FACE  33 

in  her  cavern  that  she  kept  an  old  frying  pan 
hung  from  one  of  the  sharp  points  of  the  rock 
and  some  broken  dishes  stored  away  in  a 
crevice  which  formed  a  kind  of  natural  pantry. 

Jean  and  Jack  made  a  fire,  because  no 
camper  is  really  happy  without  one.  Then 
they  religiously  got  out  their  sketch  books  and 
set  to  work  to  maKe  pictures  of  their  three 
sturdy  bronchos  mur.ching  the  buffalo  grass 
in  their  neighborhood. 

Both  girls  worked  patiently  for  about  ten 
minutes  and  then  Jean  sighed  once  or  twice. 
She  had  used  her  eraser  oftener  than  her 
drawing  pencil.  Holding  her  drawing  out, 
she  gazed  at  it  critically.  Finally  she  tore  it 
mto  small  bit"  an/  strolled  over  to  Jack,  to 
ga.:o  over  her  should  r. 

"And  whrt  be  those  critturs  you  are  pic- 
turing. Friend  EI  ton?"  Jean  demanded, 
in  a  familiar  Western  tone.  "'  If  they  are 
native  to  this  here  state  of  Wy  ming,  I  ain't 
never  seen  'em  before.  Be  they  mules  or 
buffaloes?" 

Jack  frowned  and  bit  her  pencil.  "  Don't 
be  a  goose,  Joan,"  she  answered,  "and 
please  don't  interrupt."  Jack  surveyed  her 
masterpiece  critically.     "The  ponies  do  look 


34       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

a  bit  queer,"  she  confessed.  "One  of  them 
has  three  legs  and  the  other  five,  but  then 
I  haven't  worked  very  long.  Do  go  away 
and  see  if  you  can  do  any  better  yourself. 
You  know  we  solemnly  vowed  that  we  were 
going  to  sketch  an  hour  each  day. " 

Jean  departed  to  another  ten  minutes  oi 
labor.  But  the  sun  was  shining  gloriously; 
the  day  was  one  long,  sunlit  delight.  She 
could  hear  the  water  trickling  over  the  rocks 
in  the  gorge  below,  and  Frieda  moving  about 
at  her  housekeeping.  Jean  picked  up  her 
fishing  rod,  selected  a  choice  fly  and  slipped 
her  sketch  book  into  her  knapsack. 

"Au  re  voir,  Jack  dear,"  she  announced 
cheerfully.  "  Stay  here  and  look  after  Frieda. 
I  am  going  down  to  the  pool  to  get  some 
trout  for  lunch."  Jean  flung  some  pine 
knots  on  their  fire,  kissed  her  hand  to  Frieda 
and  marched  off,  smiling  wickedly  at  Jack, 
who  was  drawing  as  though  her  life  depended 
on  it.  She  wished  to  be  an  object  lesson  of 
industry  to  slothful  Jean. 

When  Jean  had  entirely  disappeared  down 
the  side  of  the  ravine,  Jack  stopped  to  gaze 
sadly  at  her  morning's  work.  "  I  am  afraid 
I  am  not  a  natural-born  artist,"  she  declared 


SHADOW  OF  THE  GIANTS  FACE  35 

aloud.  "  It  may  be  all  right  for  geniuses  to 
work  from  life,  but  I  can't  make  any  headway 
without  a  teacher.  I  wish  Cousin  Ruth  had 
not  put  French  and  drawing  into  her  list  of 
what  a  young  woman  should  know.  They 
may  be  easy  enough  for  girls  to  learn  in  her 
beloved  old  Vermont,  but  they  are  pretty  hard 
work  out  here.  I  am  afraid  the  ranch  girls 
don't  know  any  of  the  things  they  should." 
Jack's  red  lips  parted.  "  But  it's  lots  of  fun 
to  know  the  unnecessary  things  like  fishing 
and  riding.  Gee  whiz,  I  can't  stand  working 
any  longer." 

Jack  leaned  over  the  ledge  of  rock.  Her 
drawing  fluttered  down  to  her  sister.  "  Here 
Frieda,  decorate  your  cave  with  that  work 
of  art.  It  looks  like  a  drawing  made  by  the 
Indians  in  pre-historic  days.  You  won't 
mind,  will  you,  if  I  go  away  for  a  while?  I 
won't  be  out  of  calling  distance  and  I  won't 
stay  long.     If  you  need  me,  just  sing  out." 

Frieda  smiled.  Her  blue  eyes  looked  like 
a  reflection  of  the  clear  sky  above  them. 
She  had  so  little  idea  of  feeling  any  fear,  that 
she  did  not  even  trouble  to  answer  Jack's 
question.  There  were  no  more  wild  animals 
in  the  gorge.    Besides,  the  ranch  girls  knew 


36       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

that  few  animals  would  attack  them,  except 
in  self-defense. 

Frieda  climbed  down  the  rocky  cliff  to  fill 
an  old  teakettle  with  water  from  a  spring  not 
far  below  and  then  hung  it  over  the  fire  on  a 
crooked  stick.  If  the  water  boiled  long  before 
Jean  and  Jack  returned,  the  pleasant,  sizzly 
sound  would  keep  her  company.  Frieda's 
house  was  in  order,  so  she  set  out  her  luncheon 
dishes,  arranging  them  around  in  a  circle 
on  the  floor  of  her  cave.  In  the  center,  in 
a  broken  teacup,  she  placed  the  bunch  of 
violets  she  had  worn  in  her  trip  across  the 
plain.  Still  the  girls  had  not  returned; 
Frieda  might  have  studied,  but  she  decided 
that  it  would  be  more  fun  to  enlarge  the 
crevice  in  the  rocks,  which  formed  the  store- 
house for  her  kitchen  and  dining-room  uten- 
sils. 

She  struck  the  rock  sharply  with  a  large 
stone.  A  piece  chipped  off,  then  another. 
It  was  red  sandstone  and  not  very  hard  and 
Frieda  was  banging  away  with  all  her  might, 
when  she  gave  a  quick  exclamation  of  sur- 
prise. A  great  crack  appeared  along  one  side 
of  the  stone  wall,  and  a  big  boulder  crashed 
down  at  Frieda's  feet.     Before  her,  she  beheld 


SHADOW  OF  THE  GIANT'S  FACE  37 

another  cavern  in  the  rock,  almost  as  large 
as  the  one  in  which  she  played. 

The  little  girl  jumped  back.  At  any  moment 
she  expected  to  see  a  pair  of  wild  eyes  glaring 
at  her  from  the  rocky  retreat,  believing 
that  she  had  accidentally  broken  into  the 
cave  of  some  animal.  But  nothing  happened; 
there  was  no  stir,  no  sound  from  the  darkness 
inside. 

Frieda's  heart  beat  rapidly.  Her  face  was 
pale  from  excitement.  She  looked  cautiously 
into  the  opening,  thrust  one  small  hand  into 
it  and  drew  out  a  round  dish  of  hard,  baked 
clay,  engraved  with  queer,  Indian  characters. 
Frieda  gave  a  shriek  of  delight,  although  she 
did  not  realize  that  she  had  accidentally  dis- 
covered an  important  collection  of  Indian 
relics.  But  she  was  fascinated  with  the  arrow 
heads  and  queer  Indian  dolls  that  she  dug  out 
a  second  later. 

In  the  midst  of  her  search,  Frieda  heard  a 
sound  that  made  her  heart  stand  still.  At 
the  head  of  the  gorge,  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  away,  there  was  a  dense  thicket  of  ever- 
greens. From  this  direction  came  a  cry  of 
pain  and  terror.  Frieda  flew  up  to  the  ground 
above 


38       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

"Jean,  Jack!"  she  called.  "What  has 
happened  ?  Is  one  of  you  hurt  ?  Please 
come  to  me."  Frieda  gave  the  call,  that  was 
always  the  signal  between  the  three  ranch 
girls.  "  Oh-oo,  Oh-ooo,  Oh-oooo,"  ending  in  a 
shrill,  drawn-out  note,  as  she  touched  her  lips 
with  her  fingers,  three  times  in  quick  succes- 
sion. 

Then  she  listened,  but  neither  Jean  nor 
Jack  answered  her.  The  ranch  girls  could 
hear  sounds  from  afar  off,  as  they  had  spent 
their  lives  in  the  open  country.  As  Frieda  ran 
forward  a  few  steps,  she  caught  the  echo  of 
light  feet,  flying  along  the  ground.  A  girl 
came  out  of  the  woods,  rushing  toward  her 
blindly.  But  Frieda  could  not  tell  who  it 
was  or  guess  what  had  happened.  Was  it 
Jean  or  Jack? 


CHAPTER  III. 

FRIEDA   AND   THE    OTHER   GIRL. 

/T^HE  apparition  drew  near  enough  for 
Frieda  to  see  that  it  was  a  stranger 
with  straight  black  hair.  She  was  barefoot 
and  wore  a  short,  ragged  skirt,  a  bright  red 
jacket,  and  a  red  scarf  twisted  around  her 
throat.  In  her  startled  glance  at  the  girl, 
Frieda  beheld  a  pair  of  immense  black  eyes, 
set  in  a  thin,  pointed  face,  with  cheeks  flushed 
crimson,  perhaps  from  the  swiftness  of  her 
flight.  Her  breath  came  in  short  gasps. 
Frieda  thought  of  a  fawn  she  had  once  seen 
pursued  by  some  hunters,  with  its  great  soft 
eyes  transformed  into  staring  pools  of  terror 
and  its  soft  sides  quivering  as  though  its 
heart  were  breaking  in  its  final  effort  to 
evade  its  pursuers. 

"  Oh,  what  is  it?"  Frieda  cried,  with  quick 
sympathy. 

The  girl  looked  at  her  hopelessly  and 
ran  on.  But  Frieda  now  understood.  An 
old  Indian  woman  armed  with  a  stick, 
trotted  out  of  the  screen  of  the  trees.     She 

(39) 


40       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

was  running  more  slowly  but  her  face  was 
terrifying.  Her  small  black  eyes  were  red 
with  anger  and  she  waved  a  long  arm  at  the 
girl.  ^ 

Frieda  wanted  to  help,  but  what  could  she 
do?  "Jean!  Jack!"  she  called  again.  She 
could  see  that  the  hunted  girl  had  no 
chance  of  escaping.  She  was  nearly  dropping 
with  exhaustion.  There  was  no  place  for  her 
to  hide,  for  the  plain  stretched  on,  covered 
only  with  grass  and  low  sage  brush. 

Frieda  flung  herself  valiantly  in  the  path 
of  the  Indian  woman.  She  was  used  to  the 
Indians.  Ever  since  she  could  remember  she 
had  been  making  trips  to  their  villages,  and 
a  number  of  half-breed  Indian  boys  had 
worked  on  their  ranch.  But  the  girl  had 
never  seen  one  of  them  so  furiously  angry  as 
this  old  squaw.  She  was  frightened  and  at 
the  same  timew  anted  to  laugh.  The  woman 
was  so  fat  and  in  such  a  temper,  "  that  she 
shook  when  she  ran,  like  a  bowlful  of  jelly, " 
Frieda  thought  to  herself. 

The  squaw  did  not  lift  her  beady,  black 
eyes  until  she  was  within  a  few  feet  of  Frieda. 

"  Ugh, "  she  grunted.     "  Git  out. " 

She  tried  to  push   Frieda  away  with   her 


Frieda  Flung  Herself  Valiantly  in  the  Path  of  the 
Indian  Woman. 


FRIEDA  AND  THE  OTHER  GIRL  41 

stick,  but  Frieda  stretched  out  both  arms  and 
danced  up  and  down  in  front  of  the  old  woman, 
until  she  did  not  know  which  way  to  turn. 

Old  Laska  had  not  run  all  this  distance  and 
gotten  out  of  breath  to  be  stopped  by  a  pale- 
face chit  of  a  child.  She  struck  Frieda  with 
her  staff.  Frieda  gave  a  sudden,  sharp  cry 
and  looked  quickly  around.  She  saw  that 
the  Indian  girl  had  fallen  only  a  short  dis- 
tance beyond  them  and  was  vainly  struggling 
to  get  on  her  feet  again.  Frieda  shut  her 
eyes ;  in  another  moment  she  knew  that  she 
would  hear  cruel  blows  being  rained  down  on 
the  defenseless  girl  by  the  furious  old  woman. 

At  this  moment,  a  golden  brown  head, 
wearing  a  soft,  round  Mexican  hat,  appeared 
above  an  opening  in  the  gorge.  "Frieda, 
what's  the  matter?  Didn't  we  hear  you 
call?"  Jack's  voice  rang  out  unexpectedly. 
She  jumped  lightly  from  the  rocks  to  the 
ground  and  ran  toward  her  sister,  guessing  at 
once  that  the  Indian  woman  had  frightened 
Frieda. 

"Stop,"  Jack  ordered  imperiously. 

The  woman  hesitated.  Something  in  Jack's 
commanding  tone  impressed  her  and  at  the 
same  instant  Jean  crawled  slowly  into  sight 


42       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

above  the  ravine,  swinging  a  string  of  trout 
over  her  shoulder. 

The  Giant's  Canon  seemed  suddenly  alive 
with  girls. 

Jean  gazed  at  the  scene  in  bewilderment. 
Jack's  hands  were  clasped  behind  her  and 
her  head  was  thrown  back  in  a  fashion  she 
had  when  she  was  angry.  Frieda  was  in  tears 
and  between  the  two  sisters  stood  a  fat  squaw. 

Jack  and  Jean  looked  so  ready  to  do  battle 
at  a  moment's  notice,  that  the  Indian's 
manner  changed. 

"  I  want  not  to  hurt  the  little  Missie, "  she 
mumbled.  "I  try  to  catch  my  own  girl. 
She  run  away  from  her  good  home.  She  ver' 
bad."  The  old  woman's  head  with  its 
straight  black  hair,  plaited  in  small  braids, 
bobbed  fiercely  up  and  down  and  she  shook  her 
stick  threateningly  ahead  of  her. 

During  the  whole  scene  Jack  and  Jean  had 
had  their  backs  turned  to  the  hunted  girl. 
Jack  was  blocking  the  way  of  the  Indian 
woman.  Only  Frieda  had  been  able  to  see  and 
through  her  tears  she  had  discovered  that 
the  girl,  who  had  been  lying  helpless  on  the 
level  ground  only  a  few  seconds  before,  had 
now  vanished  completely. 


FRIEDA  AND  THE  OTHER  GIRL  43 

Frieda  smiled  at  Jack's  and  Jean's  puzzled 
expressions.  "Indian  girl!  What  did  the 
old  woman  mean?"  The  two  girls  looked 
about.  There  was  no  one  in  sight.  Evidently 
the  squaw  had  not  intended  to  hurt  Frieda  and 
Jack  and  Jean  were  anxious  to  get  rid  of  her. 
The  next  instant  the  Indian  waddled  on, 
though  she,  too,  had  lost  sight  of  the  fragile 
figure  she  was  pursuing. 

Frieda  walked  over  to  the  fire  and  stirred 
it  into  a  blaze  without  a  word.  She  winked 
mysteriously  at  Jean  and  Jack,  but  neither 
of  them  had  the  faintest  idea  of  what  she 
meant. 

"  Let's  fry  the  fish,  before  we  go  down  into 
the  cave,"  Frieda  whispered.  "  I  don't  want 
the  Indian  to  come  along  this  way  and  find 
out  where  it  is." 

Jean  and  Jack  knew  that  Frieda  wished  to 
keep  her  playhouse  a  secret  from  all  the 
world,  so  they  thought  nothing  of  her  odd 
manner. 

Frieda  was  bending  over  the  glowing  ashes, 
humming  softly,  with  her  cheeks  rosy  and 
her  two  long  blonde  plaits  fairly  trembling 
with  excitement  when  she  noticed  the  Indian 
woman  coming  back  toward  them.     She  was 


44       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

alone.  Evidently  she  had  gone  on  for  half 
a  mile  or  more  before  she  decided  it  was  use- 
less to  hunt  any  longer. 

Frieda  never  looked  up.  The  woman 
sidled  up  to  Jean  and  Jack  with  a  wheed- 
ling expression  on  her  broad,   stupid   face. 

Jack  and  Jean  paid  no  attention  to  her. 
They  were  making  a  pile  of  shiny  fish  scales 
into  a  silver  hill  at  their  feet,  as  it  was  their 
part  to  clean  the  trout,  while  Frieda  did  the 
cooking. 

The  Indian  eyed  the  two  girls  doubtfully. 
She  firmly  believed  that  one  of  them  had 
helped  the  truant  to  escape,  yet  they  had 
not  stirred  from  before  her  eyes,  in  the  time 
when  the  runaway  girl  threw  her  off  the  scent. 

"  You  know  where  my  girl  is,  you  hide  her 
from  me,"  the  woman  said  accusingly. 

Jean  glanced  at  her  in  a  bored  fashion. 
"Will  you  please  go  away?"  she  demanded. 
"We  are  busy.  We  do  not  want  to  talk  to 
you.  I  told  you  that  we  had  never  seen  any 
Indian  girl." 

Frieda  did  not  move,  but  her  rosy  cheeks 
burned  a  deeper  red  from  the  heat  of  the 
flames. 

The  squaw  waddled  slowly  out  of  sight. 


FRIEDA  AND  THE  OTHER  GIRL  45 

What  did  it  matter  if  she  had  not  caught 
Olilie?  The  girl  would  soon  have  to  return  to 
the  hut.  She  could  not  live  long  alone  out  on 
the  plains  and  when  she  came  back  she  should 
be  taught  her  place.  Olilie  was  only  a 
squaw  in  spite  of  the  nonsense  she  had  learned 
at  the  white  people's  school.  She  should  do 
the  work  and  be  the  slave  of  the  man  chief, 
like  all  Indian  girls  had  from  the  beginning. 

"Jean,  Jack,"  Frieda  hissed  softly.  She 
came  over  toward  her  cousin  and  sister  with  the 
fish  still  sizzling  and  popping  in  her  frying  pan. 

"Oh,  do  be  careful,  Frieda,"  Jean  begged. 
Some  of  the  hot  fat  sputtered  out  of  the  pan 
into  Jean's  lap  and  she  slid  backwards  off  the 
rock  where  she  was  seated. 

But  Jack  saw  that  'something  unusual  was 
the  matter  with  Frieda. 

"  What  in  the  world  has  happened  to  you, 
child?  Your  eyes  are  as  big  as  saucers!"  she 
exclaimed. 

Frieda  set  down  her  pan  and  though  the 
Indian  woman  was  now  well  out  of  sight,  she 
whispered  a  few  words  that  made  both  girls 
jump  to  their  feet. 

"Then  there  was  an  Indian  girl  all  the 
time?"  Jean  murmured. 


46       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Frieda  nodded.  "We  must  find  her,"  she 
argued  quietly.  "  She  slipped  over  the  side  of 
the  gorge  not  far  from  here,  when  no  one  was 
looking  at  her  except  me.  She  can't  be  very 
far  away  for  she  was  too  tired  to  have  gone 
much  further." 

"All  right,  Frieda,"  Jack  agreed.  "We 
will  look  for  the  Indian  princess  as  soon  as  we 
have  had  our  lunch.  We  must  eat  the  fish 
first,  it  is  so  brown  and  delicious.  Really  we 
will  have  more  strength  to  search  if  we  have 
some  food,"  Jack  pleaded,  seeing  Frieda's 
injured  expression. 

"  She  will  get  awa}^,  Jack,"  Frieda  answered. 
"Then  she  may  be  lost  on  the  plains  and 
starve  and  nobody  will  ever  find  her.  She 
was  so  pretty  and  so  frightened  that  I  am 
sure  you  would  have  been  interested  if  you 
had  only  seen  her. " 

Jack  heaved  a  deep  sigh.  "Come  along, 
Jean,"  she  insisted.  "Frieda  wants  us  to 
look  for  the  will-o-the-wisp,  so  look  we  must. " 

Frieda  was  not  tempestuous  like  Jack  and 
Jean,  but,  just  the  same,  like  a  great  many 
other  gentle  people,  she  always  had  her  way. 
"Little  Chinook,"  Jim  used  to  call  her, 
because  "Chinook"  is  the  Indian  name  for  a 


FRIEDA  AND  THE  OTHER  GIRL  47 

soft,  west  wind,  that  blows  so  quietly,  so 
persistently,  that  it  carries  everything  before 
it.     It  even  wafts  all  one's  troubles  away. 

Jack,  Jean  and  Frieda  crawled  down  into 
the  great  canon,  among  the  giant  rocks, 
poking  their  noses  into  every  opening,  where 
they  thought  it  possible  that  anj^body  could 
be  concealed.  There  was  no  sign  of  any  one, 
though  Frieda  called  and  called,  assuring  the 
runaway  that  the  Indian  woman  had  gone 
back  home. 

"  I  am  afraid  she  must  have  fallen  and 
gotten  hurt  somehow,  Jack,"  Frieda  sug- 
gested, when  the  three  girls  had  explored  for 
half  an  hour. 

Jean  turned  resolutely  upon  the  two  sisters. 
"I  am  very  sorry,  Frieda  Ralston,"  she 
announced  firmly,  "  but  I  decline  to  look  for 
that  tiresome  girl  another  minute.  I  will  be 
fed.  I  don't  see  for  the  life  of  me,  why  you 
are  so  worried  over  the  fate  of  an  unknown 
Indian  maiden,  when  your  own  devoted 
cousin  is  perishing  before  your  eyes. " 

Frieda's  cave  was  soon  spread  with  the 
luncheon  dishes  and  the  girls  sat  down  Turkish 
fashion,  with  their  long-delayed  feast  in  front 
of  them. 


48       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Frieda's  face  was  half  buried  in  a  ham 
sandwich  when  Jean  gave  a  sudden  exclama- 
tion of  surprise.  "Look,  girls,  there  must 
have  been  an  earthquake  or  something 
around  here.  There  is  a  hole  in  the  ronb: 
back  of  Frieda's  cave,  nearly  as  large  as  this 
one.  Funny  we  never  noticed  it  this  morn- 
ing!" 

"  Oh,  I  forgot  to  tell  you, "  Frieda  remarked 
indifferently.  "I  was  banging  away  there, 
trying  to  make  my  pantry  larger,  when  a  huge 
stone  fell  out  and  rolled  into  the  gorge.  Lo 
and  behold,  there  was  another  cavern!  I 
tound  some  queer  Indian  relics  in  it.  Come 
see." 

Frieda  led  the  way  over  to  the  new  pit 
and  dropped  down  on  her  knees  in  front  of  it, 
with  Jack  and  Jean  on  either  side  of  her.  "  I 
was  afraid  to  go  inside  until  you  came/'  she 
said,  "but  it  is  quite  empty, — look!" 

Frieda's  breath  gave  out.  She  stared  and 
stared,  clutching  at  her  cousin  and  her  sister. 
The  three  girls  were  spellbound ! 

Gazing  at  them  from  out  the  black  darkness, 
was  what  Frieda  had  feared  at  the  first 
moment  of  her  discovery  of  the  mysterious 
cavity,  a  pair  of  burning,  glowing  eyes,    They 


FRIEDA  AND  THE  OTHER  GIRL  49 

might  belong  to  some  wild  animal,  though 
they  were  not  fierce,  only  timid  and  pleading. 

The  ranch  girls  were  not  cowards,  but  not 
one  of  them  wished  to  enter  the  obscurity  of 
that  strange  hiding  place. 

The  figure  stirred.  The  girls  were  now 
more  used  to  the  darkness. 

"Why  it's  the  Indian  girl!"  Frieda  cried. 
"Do  come  out,  please.  We  won't  hurt  you 
and  the  Indian  woman  has  been  gone  a  long 
time." 

But  the  girl  seemed  to  be  afraid  to  move. 
Frieda  crawled  fearlessly  into  the  hole  and 
gave  her  little,  white  hand  into  the  girPs  thin, 
dark  one. 

As  the  Indian  maid  came  out  into  the 
bright,  invigorating  air,  she  tried  to  stand  up, 
but  she  swayed  in  the  wind,  like  a  scarlet 
poppy  that  is  trying  to  oppose  its  frail 
strength  to  the  blast  of  a  storm. 

Before  Jack  and  Jean  could  get  to  her  and 
in  spite  of  Frieda's  efforts,  the  girl  took  a  step 
forward,  staggered  and  fell  at  their  feet. 

As  they  picked  her  up,  they  discovered  that 
she  was  flushed  with  fever.  But  while  Jean 
washed  her  face  with  cool  water  and  Jack  held 
her  in  her  arms,  she  opened   her   mournful 


50       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

black  eyes.  "  I  am  sorry  to  have  troubled 
you,"  she  said,  without  a  trace  of  an  Indian 
accent.  "  I  have  run  away  and  I  am  tired. 
If  you  will  please  give  me  some  water  and  let 
me  stay  here  for  a  few  minutes  I  am  sure  I 
will  be  all  right." 

But  she  was  not  all  right,  even  though  the 
ranch  girls  persuaded  her  to  eat  something, 
as  well  as  to  drink  a  cup  of  hot  tea.  She  did 
not  seem  to  be  able  to  move,  but  sat  per- 
fectly still  with  her  lovely  dark  head  resting 
between  her  slender  hands.  She  did  not  try 
to  explain  to  them  why  she  had  run  away  from 
home  or  when  she  expected  to  return. 

Jack  glanced  anxiously  upward.  They  had 
solemnly  promised  Jim  to  be  back  at  the 
ranch  house  before  dark  and  the  ranch  girls 
could  tell  the  time  of  day  from  the  position 
of  the  sun  in  the  sky.  This  was  one  of  the 
things  they  knew  instead  of  French  or  draw- 
ing. Unless  they  left  the  canon  pretty  soon, 
Jack  knew  they  would  never  get  home  in 
time;  yet  what  could  they  do  with  Frieda's 
Indian  girl?  They  could  not  leave  her  in  the 
gorge  alone,  and  yet  she  did  not  seem  to  have 
the  strength  or  the  desire  to  go. 

Tack  once  had  seen  a  copy  of  a  wonderful 


FRIEDA  AND  THE  OTHER  GIRL  51 

picture  of  Ishmael  in  the  desert,  whom  Abra- 
ham had  cast  out  with  his  mother,  Hagar. 
Hagar  had  gone  to  find  some  fuel  and  the 
child  is  alone.  Around  him  is  a  great,  grey 
plain,  with  nothing  else  alive  on  it.  There 
was  something  in  this  Indian  girl's  position, 
her  fragile  grace,  and  dreadful  loneliness,  that 
recalled  this  picture  to  Jacqueline  Ralston's 
mind.  She  put  her  arm  gently  over  the  other 
girFs  shoulder. 

The  Indian  maid  looked  up.  Perhaps  it 
was  the  difference  in  her  appearance  and  in 
Jacqueline's  that  made  her  eyes  fill  with  tears. 
Jack's  proud,  high-bred  face  was  softened  to 
pity.  Her  grey  eyes  were  tender  and  the  usual 
proud  curve  to  her  lips  was  changed  to  an 
expression  that  she  seldom  showed  to  any 
one  but  Frieda  or  Jean  since  her  father's 
death. 

"We  must  go  back  to  our  home  now," 
Jack  explained  kindly,  "  but  we  can't  leave 
you  here  alone.  Tell  us  why  you  ran  away? 
Don't  you  think  you  could  return;  or  is  there 
anything  we  could  do  for  you?" 

The  girl  shook  her  head.  She  was  as  tall  as 
Jean,  but  so  thin  that  she  might  be  only  an 
overgrown  child.     She  seemed  very  young  to 


52       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LOGDE 

Jacqueline,  almost  as  young  as  Frieda  and  as 
much  in  need  of  some  one  to  take  care  of  her. 

The  three  ranch  girls  were  gazing  intently 
at  the  stranger. 

She  flung  her  hands  up  over  her  face  again. 
"  I  can't  go  back,  I  can't,"  she  insisted. 
"You  are  to  go  away.  I  am  not  afraid. 
Only  let  me  stay  in  this  ravine,  until  I  can 
find  some  place  that  is  further  away,  where  no 
one  can  find  me.  I  shall  not  be  hungry,  I  can 
hunt  and  fish.  Only  to-day  I  am  tired." 
She  shook,  as  though  she  were  having  a  chill. 

Jacqueline  dropped  down  on  the  ground  by 
her  side.  Frieda  and  Jean  were  trying  not 
to  cry. 

"  You  poor  little  thing,  you  know  we  can't 
leave  you  here,"  Jack  declared.  "Won't 
you?  Can't  you?"  Jack  looked  appealingly 
at  Jean  and  Frieda.  She  was  the  oldest  of 
the  ranch  girls,  but  she  never  decided  any- 
thing without  their  advice.  Both  of  them 
nodded.  "  Don't  }Tou  think  }^ou  could  come 
home  to  the  ranch  with  us,  until  you  feel 
better  and  can  tell  us  what  troubles  you? 
You  are  ill  now  and  worn  out.  Why  you 
might  even  die  if  you  stayed  here  alone." 

Jack  did  not  wait  for  an  answer.     She 


FRIEDA  AND  THE  OTHER  GIRL  53 

almost  lifted  the  Indian  girl  to  her  feet  and 
brought  her  out  of  Frieda's  cave.  She  helped 
her  upon  her  own  pony,  and  getting  up  be- 
hind Frieda,  she  led  Hotspur  and  his  new 
rider  to  the  beloved  Rainbow  Ranch  house, 
whose  doors  opened  to  admit  not  three  girls, 
but  four. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    RESCUE. 

VI7HEN  Olilie,  the  Indian  girl,  came  back 
to  consciousness,  after  being  put  to  bed 
at  the  ranch  house,  three  days  had  passed. 
She  lay  between  broad  sheets  smelling  of 
violets  and  whiter  than  anything  she  had 
ever  seen,  except  the  new  snow  on  the  prairies. 

Over  in  the  corner  of  a  big  empty  room  sat 
a  strange  little  girl.  She  was  sewing  on 
some  small  doll  clothes  and  humming  softly  to 
herself.  Two  braids  like  plaited  silk  of  the 
corn  hung  over  her  face.  Olilie  did  not  recall 
ever  having  seen  her  before  and  had  not  the 
faintest  idea  how  she  happened  to  be  in  this 
wonderful  place,  instead  of  the  dirty  hut  of 
Laska  the  Indian  woman  and  her  son  Josef. 

Some  one  else  tiptoed  softly  into  the  cham- 
ber. Olilie  half  closed  her  eyes.  She  remem- 
bered this  other  face  faintly,  but  where  and 
when  had  she  seen  it? 

"  Hasn't  she  spoken  yet?"  a  voice  asked  in 
a  disappointed  tone.  "  I  am  so  sorry,  but 
I  simply  have  to  ride  over  the  range  with  Jim 

(54) 


THE  RESCUE  55 

this  morning.  Some  of  the  cattle  keep  dis- 
appearing. If  our  patient  wants  to  talk, 
please  don't  let  her  tell  you  everything  before 
I  get  back.     She  must  be  kept  pretty  quiet. " 

Just  for  a  second,  Olilie  felt  that  a  face 
bent  over  hers.  But  she  gave  no  sign  of  being 
awake,  although  she  now  knew  where  she  was 
and  how  she  happened  to  be  there.  It  had 
flashed  across  her  memory— her  flight,  her 
hiding  and  the  meeting  with  the  ranch  girls. 
She  understood  that  she  had  been  ill  but  was 
going  to  get  well  again.  The  hot,  uncomfor- 
table feeling  had  left  her  head,  she  had  no 
pain,  only  she  was  very  weak  and  she  did  not 
think  that  she  could  bear  to  go  away  from 
this  beautiful  place.  If  only  she  could  have 
been  ill  a  little  longer ! 

OlihVs  wistful,  black  eyes  were  wide  open, 
when  the  bedroom  door  unclosed  the  second 
time.  She  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  tall,  dark 
figure  and  a  wave  of  terror  swept  over  her. 
Already  had  Laska  come  to  take  her  home? 

But  the  woman  walked  quietly  up  to  the 
bed,  took  one  of  OlihVs  thin  hands  and  gazed 
at  it  earnestly,  turning  it  over  in  her  own  brown 
palm.  She  shook  her  head,  smoothed  up  the 
covers  and  nodded  to  Olilie  not  to  try  to  talk. 


56       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

"This  girl  has  been  brought  up  among 
white  people,  hasn't  she,  Frieda?"  Aunt 
Ellen  inquired  softly. 

The  blonde  plaits  moved  slightly. 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  know,"  came  a  faint 
voice  from  between  them.  "  We  know  nothing 
about  her,  except  what  Jack  told  you.  She 
did  not  talk  like  an  Indian,  so  I  suppose  she 
has  been  to  school.  Her  mother,  from  whom 
she  was  running  away,  was  a  full-blooded 
Indian  but  she  don't  look  a  bit  like  her." 
Frieda  lowered  her  voice  still  further.  "  Has 
the  Indian  woman  been  here  to  inquire  for 
her  daughter?  Jack  was  afraid  she  would 
find  out  who  we  were  and  come  over  here." 

Aunt  Ellen  gave  her  head  a  warning  shake 
and  said  something  to  Frieda  that  the  sick 
girl  on  the  bed  could  not  hear.  But  Frieda 
jumped  up  and  her  bits  of  doll  dresses  scat- 
tered about  on  the  floor.  "When  will  Jack 
and  Jim  come  back?"  she  demanded  quickly. 
' '  If  we  had  only  known  before  they  went  away !' ' 

"Known  what?"  Olilie  asked,  as  naturally 
as  though  she  had  been  taking  part  in  the 
conversation  all  the  time.  "  I  am  quite  well 
now,  thank  you.  If  you  don't  mind,  I  should 
like  to  get  out  of  bed." 


THE  RESCUE  57 

Frieda's  face  turned  quite  red  and  her  blue 
eyes  were  round  with  surprise.  She  ran  to 
Olilie  and  threw  her  arms  around  her.  "  You 
are  well  now,  aren't  you?"  she  exclaimed. 
"  I'm  so  glad.  Just  wait  until  I  run  and  find 
Jean.  She  won't  like  it  unless  I  tell  her  at 
once." 

"Child,"  Aunt  Ellen  queried,  as  soon  as 
Frieda  went  away,  "is  the  Arapaho  woman 
who  makes  baskets  and  strings  beads  at  the 
end  of  the  Wind  Creek  valley  your  mother  and 
is  the  lad  Josef  her  son?" 

Olilie  nodded.  "  I  think  so,"  she  replied. 
"  At  least  I  know  of  no  other  woman  who  is 
my  mother.     I  have  lived  with  her  always." 

"But  you  are  not  a  full-blooded  Indian 
girl,"  Aunt  Ellen  argued,  "although  your 
hair  is  so  black  and  straight  and  your  skin  is 
dark.  Look,"  Aunt  Ellen  picked  up  the  girl's 
hand  again.  "  See,  your  finger  nails  are  pink 
and  that  is  not  the  case  with  the  red  or  brown- 
skinned  people."  Aunt  Ellen  opened  the 
girl's  gown,  and  where  her  skin  was  un- 
touched by  the  sun  and  wind,  it  was  a  beauti- 
ful olive  color. 

Aunt  Ellen  lifted  her  up,  wrapped  her  in 
a  blue  dressing  gown  and  sat  her  in  Frieda's 


58       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

vacant  chair.  "  It's  a  hard  time  ahead  of  you, 
child,"  she  murmured  to  herself.  "Mixed 
blood  don't  never  bring  happiness,  when  one 
of  'em  runs  dark." 

Jean's  and  Frieda's  faces  both  wore  strange 
expressions  when  they  came  back  to  their 
guest.  But  Olilie  did  not  know  them  well 
enough  to  guess  that  anything  unusual  was 
the  matter. 

She  stretched  out  both  hands  humbly  and 
took  one  of  Jean's  and  one  of  Frieda's  in  her 
own.  "Won't  you  let  me  thank  you  for 
keeping  me  here  and  let  me  tell  you  why  I  ran 
away?"  she  asked  gratefully. 

Jean  shook  her  head  nervously,  her  brown 
eyes  fastened  on  the  tight-closed  door,  against 
which  Aunt  Ellen  stood  like  a  body-guard. 
"No,  please  don't  try  to  tell  us  anything 
now,"  Jean  begged.  "  I  am  sure  you  are  not 
strong  enough.  And  Jack,  she  is  the  oldest  of 
us,  she  would  like  you  to  wait  until  she  comes 
back  this  afternoon." 

The  ranch  house  was  built  on  one  floor. 
A  long  hall  led  straight  through  the  centre  of 
it.  There  were  four  bedrooms  beside  the 
living-room  and  Aunt  Ellen's  room,  which 
opened  off  the  kitchen.     Aunt  Ellen  and  her 


THE  RESCUE  59 

husband,  Zack,  slept  on  the  place  and  the  old 
man  helped  Frieda  and  Jean  with  their  violet 
beds.  To-day  he  had  ridden  over  to  the 
nearest  village  to  see  about  the  building  of  the 
new  greenhouses. 

A  tramp  of  heavy  feet  echoed  out  in  the 
passageway.  Jean  kept  on  talking,  as 
though  she  wished  to  drown  the  sound.  The 
Indian  girl  did  not  seem  to  be  disturbed. 
She  was  too  happy  and  too  weak  to  care 
much  what  was  going  on  outside  her  room. 

"Don't  you  think  I  might  tell  you  my 
name  at  least ?"  she  begged.  "It  is  Olilie, 
an  Indian  name.  I  don't  know  just  what  it 
means.     I — " 

There  were  no  locks  on  the  doors  inside  the 
big  hospitable  ranch  house.  What  need  was 
there  of  locking  people  either  out  or  in,  in 
this  great  open  western  land? 

Yet  Aunt  Ellen  kept  her  hand  on  the  door- 
knob. "You  are  not  to  come  in  here/'  she 
insisted  fiercely.  "  I  told  you  to  leave  our 
ranch." 

The  door  burst  rudely  open.  The  squat 
ugly  figure  of  Laska  appeared  inside  the 
room,  followed  by  a  young  Indian  boy,  who 
looked  sheepish  and  ashamed. 


60       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

"  Ugh, "  grunted  the  old  squaw.  "  Did  you 
think  we  no  find  you?  Come,  git  up.  You 
go  with  me."  She  pushed  aside  Frieda  and 
Jean,  who  were  trying  to  guard  the  sick  girl. 

Olilie's  face  was  so  white  that  no  one  could 
have  thought  her  an  Indian.  She  could  not 
speak,  she  only  clutched  at  the  arms  of  her 
chair  as  though  nothing  could  part  her 
from  it. 

Jean  stamped  her  foot  angrily.  "Go  out 
of  this  house  at  once,"  she  ordered  angrily. 
"How  dare  you  thrust  your  way  in  here? 
Your  daughter  is  too  ill  for  you  to  move  her. 
Besides,  we  are  going  to  keep  her  here  until 
we  find  out  whether  you  were  cruel  to  her  and 
why  she  won't  live  with  you. " 

"No,  no,  I  shall  not  live  with  her  again," 
Olilie  burst  out  passionately.  "  I  do  not 
mind  the  work  or  the  blows,  but  I  will  not  be 
a  squaw  woman.  I  will  not  light  the  pipe, 
clean  the  gun,  hew  the  wood  and  fetch  the 
water  for  her  son.  At  the  school  they  have 
taught  me  that  a  girl  is  a  boy's  equal.  I  will 
not,  because  I  am  a  girl,  be  a  slave.  Please, 
please  go. "  The  Indian  girl  looked  not  at  her 
mother,  but  at  Josef,  the  Indian  bo3^.  He 
kept  his  head  down  and  mumbled  something 


THE  RESCUE  61 

that  only  Laska  and  Olilie  could  under- 
stand. 

Laska  pointed  toward  the  girl.  Then  her 
eyes  held  her  son.  "  Take  her  to  the  tepee  of 
her  own  people,"  she  commanded.  "  I  know 
the  laws  of  the  white  race  are  many  and 
strange,  but  they  take  not  the  child  from  her 
mother,  while  she  is  yet  young." 

Josef  went  toward  Olilie,  but  Jean's  body 
covered  her  and  he  did  not  dare  to  thrust 
the  white  girl  aside. 

Frieda  flung  herself  half  way  out  the  open 
window.  In  front  of  the  ranch  was  a  grove 
of  Cottonwood  trees,  to  one  side  ran  a  long, 
winding  creek.  There  was  no  one  in  sight, 
even  their  watch  dog  had  followed  Jack  and 
Jim  across  the  range. 

Jean  was  trying  bribery  and  corruption. 
She  had  slipped  her  hand  in  her  pocket 
and  brought  out  two  bright  silver  dollars. 
She  held  one  up  before  the  boy,  the  other 
before  old  Laska.  "  I  will  give  you  these  if 
you  will  leave  the  girl  with  us  for  a  few  day* 
longer,"   she  suggested. 

The  Indian  boy  did  not  lift  his  hand. 
He  was  gazing  at  the  figure  of  his  sister  in  the 
chair.     "I  no  take  her,  she  sick,"  he  said. 


62       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

"  I  no  want  her  to  work  for  me.  It  is  Laska 
who  make  her.  She  not  like  other  Indian 
girl.  She  different  somehow.  She  read  books. 
She  talk  like  teachers  at  school." 

Laska  seized  the  boy  by  the  arm  and 
shook  him  roughly.  "You  no  talk  foolish." 
she  declared.  "You  bring  girl  home.  We 
take  not  white  money.  Always  you  try  to 
make  the  Indian  sell  big  things  for  little." 

"Oh,  if  somebody  would  only  come  to 
help  us,"  Frieda  thought  despairingly.  She 
saw  that  Josef  had  picked  Olilie  up  in  his 
arms.  She  felt  like  Sister  Anne  in  the  dread- 
ful story  of  Bluebeard.  If  she  could  see  a 
little  cloud  of  dust  arising  somewhere  down 
the  long  road  that  led  through  the  trees 
from  the  far  trail  of  the  plains,  she  knew  that 
help  would  come  to  them!  If  only  she  could 
catch  sight  of  one  of  the  cowboys  returning 
to  the  ranch ! 

Frieda  did  spy  a  little  dust  along  the  trail 
on  the  upper  side  of  the  creek.  She  seized 
a  white  scarf  from  the  table  near  by  and 
waved  it  franticall  yout  the  window.  "  Help! 
Help!  Jim!  Jack!  Somebody  come  quick! 
We  need  you!"  she  cried. 

The  Indian  boy  and  woman  waited,  puzzled 


THE  RESCUE  63 

and  alarmed  by  the  noise  that  Frieda  was 
making. 

Frieda  saw  a  rider  catch  sight  of  her 
signal,  plunge  down  the  trail  and  through 
the  muddy  creek,  straight  to  the  ranch  house 
door.  She  knew  that  it  was  some  one  whom 
she  had  never  seen  before  in  her  life,  but  it 
did  not   make  the  least  difference  to  her. 

"Won't  you  come  in  here?"  she  begged. 
"  The  door  is  open.  There  are  some  Indians 
trying  to  steal  a  girl  away — "  Frieda  drew 
her  blonde  head  back  inside  the  window,  just 
in  time  to  see  the  stranger  stalk  into  their 
room. 

"Put  the  girl  down,"  he  commanded  Josef 
in  a  tone  of  authority.  Nothing  loath,  the 
Indian  boy  returned  Olilie  to  her  chair. 
The  newcomer  then  spoke  to  the  surly  Indian 
w  man.  "  You  and  your  son  leave  this  ranch 
at  once.  It  was  fortunate  that  I  learned  that 
you  were  coming  here  this  morning.  I  rode 
over  just  in  time." 

The  young  man  had  brown  hair  and  eyes. 
His  face  was  quite  pale.  He  did  not  look 
in  the  least  strong,  but  there  was  something 
in  his  quiet  manner  that  showed  he  waa 
accustomed  to  being  obeyed. 


64       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

"We  come  back  to  get  my  girl,  when  she 
well,"  the  Indian  woman  threatened,  as  the 
door  closed  behind  her. 

There  was  an  awkward  silence  when  the 
Indians  had  gone.  The  young  fellow 
immediately  lost  his  grown-up  manner  and 
seemed  very  uncertain  and  shy.  He  colored 
and  held  his  new  cowboy  hat  in  his  hands. 

"  I  am  awfully  glad  I  turned  up  in  time  to 
help  you  drive  those  people  out  of  the  house," 
he  declared.  "  I  happened  to  hear  that  they 
were  coming  over  to  your  ranch  to  take  the 
Indian  girl  away  from  you  to-day.  If  there 
had  been  anybody  to  send  over  to  tell  you, 
I  wouldn't  have  come  myself, "  he  ended. 
"  Will  you  please  tell  the  older  Miss  Ralston 
this.  I  won't  intrude  on  you  any  longer. 
Good-bye." 

Jean  laughed  and  held  out  her  hand. 
"Please  don't  go  quite  yet,"  she  said.  "At 
least  stay  until  we  thank  you.  I  know  who 
you  are  and  Jack  will  be  just  as  grateful  to 
you  as  Frieda  and  I  are.  You  must  not  think 
she  is  always  so  unfriendly.  Aren't  you  Frank 
Kent,  the  English  fellow  who  is  the  guest  of 
the  Nortons?  Jack  told  us  about  you 
But  you  see  the  Nortons  a*^ — " 


THE  RESCUE  65 

u  Yes,  I  understand/'  Frank  Kent  answered 
quickly.  "  At  least  I  have  been  told  what  the 
trouble  is  between  you,  but  I  hope  it  may  be 
a  mistake.  I  can't  believe  Mr.  Norton  and 
Dan — "  Frank  stopped.  Jean's  and  Frieda's 
cheeks  were  crimson.  He  realized  that  he 
had  no  right  to  talk  about  their  private  affairs. 
Aunt  Ellen  was  looking  at  him  suspiciously. 

Frank  x^ent  bowed.  "  I  think  I  had  better 
go,"  he  announced.  Just  as  he  started  out 
of  the  room,  Jacqueline  Ralston  marched  into 
it.  Every  bit  of  color  left  her  face  and  she 
stared  at  him  in  blank  astonishment. 


CHAPTER  V. 


SEEKING  ADVICE. 


JEAN  giggled.  Frank  Kent  and  Jack  were 
so  funny.  They  both  turned  and  glared 
at  her  with  reproachful  eyes. 

"  I  hope  you  don't  think  I  have  intruded/' 
Frank  protested  hotly. 

"Oh,  no,  certainly  not,"  Jack  answered 
with  frozen  politeness.  "  That  is,  at  least, — I 
don't  understand." 

The  scene  was  enough  to  have  bewildered 
almost  anybody.  The  quiet  room  where  Jack 
had  left  the  Indian  girl  half  unconscious  and 
guarded  only  by  tranquil  Frieda,  was  now  in 
a  state  of  suppressed  excitement. 

Olilie  lay  back  in  her  chair  with  the  same 
expression  on  her  face  that  she  had  worn  on 
the  day  she  was  discovered.  Aunt  Ellen  had 
her  eyes  rolled  back  so  that  only  the  whites 
were  showing.  Frieda  was  bouncing  up  and 
down,  she  was  so  agitated,  and  Jean  looked 
as  though  she  had  been  through  the  war. 
And  in  the  midst  of  the  family  group  stood 
the  strange  young  fellow  whom  Jacqueline 

(66) 


SEEKING  ADVICE  67 

had  met  on  the  Norton  ranch  and  most  cor- 
dially requested  not  to  make  their  acquaint- 
ance. 

Frieda  rushed  into  the  breach.  "  Oh,  Jack, 
the  most  awfullest  thing  almost  happened!" 
she  exclaimed,  clasping  her  hands  and  for- 
getting her  grammar  in  her  hurry.  "That 
dreadful  old  Indian  woman  and  a  boy  came 
here  and  tried  to  drag  Olilie  away.  I  hollered 
and  hollered  out  the  window  for  Jim  or  you 
or  anybody  to  come  drive  them  off,  and  he 
came,"  Frieda  bobbed  her  head  at  their 
visitor. 

She  was  so  excited  that  Jean  and  Jack 
laughed.  But  Frank  Kent  did  not  smile  the 
least  bit.  You  see  he  was  English  and  Eng- 
lish people  don't  see  jokes  quickly.  Besides, 
he  was  angry  at  Jack's  first  suspicion  of  him. 
He  guessed  by  her  high  and  mighty  manner 
that  she  thought  he  had  come  to  the  ranch 
against  her  wishes. 

He  looked  so  stiff  and  unfriendly  that 
Jacqueline  did  not  know  what  to  say  first. 

"  Your  cousin  will  tell  you  how  I  happened 
to  be  near,"  he  said  icily,  backing  out  the  door. 

Jack  rushed  after  him,  nearly  tripping  over 
the  spurs  on  her  riding  boots.     "  Please  don't 


68       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

go  quite  yet,"  she  begged.  "  At  least  let  me 
thank  you  for  whatever  you  did."  Jack  had 
a  way  of  smiling  suddenly  that  changed  her 
whole  expression,  and  made  people  forgive  her 
almost  anything.  "Won't  you  please  come 
into  the  living-room  and  one  of  you  tell  me 
calmly  exactly  what  has  happened,  or  I  shall 
simply  die  of  curiosity." 

Jack  led  the  way  into  the  big,  sunlit  room, 
followed  by  Jean  and  more  slowly  by  Frank 
Kent. 

"0!  dear  here's  a  kettle  of  fish,"  Jack 
sighed,  when  Jean  finished  her  story.  She 
didn't  think  of  her  slang  till  she  saw  Frank's 
puzzled  expression,  then  she  blushed.  "  I  am 
afraid  we  can't  keep  this  little  Indian  girl  at 
the  ranch,  Jean,  if  her  own  people  will  have 
her,"  Jack  went  on.  "You  see  I  had  a  long 
talk  with  Jim  this  morning.  He  says  we 
must  not  make  the  Indians  in  the  neighbor- 
hood angry  with  us.  They  will  say  we  kid- 
napped the  girl,  or  something  horrid.  And 
we  have  troubles  enough  without  that."  A 
second  after  Jack  was  ashamed  of  having 
spoken  of  their  difficulties  before  a  perfect 
stranger. 

To  tell  the  truth  affairs  were  not  going  very 


SEEKING  ADVICE  69 

well  at  Rainbow  Ranch.  The  big  creek 
which  ran  along  through  Rainbow  Valley  for 
nearly  a  mile  and  supplied  their  ranch  with 
water  was  almost  dry  in  the  middle  of  October. 
There  might  soon  be  nothing  for  the  cattle 
and  horses  to  drink  until  the  winter  snows  fell. 
Jim  had  confided  to  Jack  that  he  suspected 
gome  one  was  draining  their  creek  by  digging 
a  channel  for  the  water  k  wer  down  the  valley. 
He  could  not  find  out,  b  it  if  it  were  true,  it 
meant  ruin  for  the  ranch  girls!  There  wTas 
another,  even  more  serious  difficulty,  that 
might  be  in  store  for  them,  but  of  this  the  girls 
would  not  speak. 

"Has  anything  happened,  Jack?"  Jean 
asked  hurriedly. 

Jack  shook  her  head.  "  Nothing  unusual," 
she  replied.  "Only  I  shall  feel  dreadfully 
porry  if  we  have  to  send  the  Indian  girl  back 
to  her  people.  You  and  Frieda  must  not 
think  I  am  hateful  if  we  find  we  have  to." 

Frank  Kent  forgot  his  English  shyness. 

"  You  girls  are  just  bully  to  be  fighting  this 
strange  girl's  battles,"  he  broke  in.  "  I  won- 
der if  you  wouldn't  let  me  help  you!  I  be- 
lieve there  is  something  queer  about  her 
parentage  anyhow.     Even  an  English  duffer 


70       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

like  I  am,  can  tell  by  looking  at  her  that  she 
isn't  a  full-blooded  Indian/' 

Frank's  face  turned  red  as  a  beet  and  he 
stammered  hurriedly.  "  Of  course  if  you  let 
me  help  you  in  this,  we  need  not  know  each 
other   afterwards." 

Jacqueline  was  as  fiery  red  as  her  guest  and 
Jean  giggled  again. 

"We  couldn't  be  as  horrid  as  all  that," 
Jack  declared  in  a  straightforward  fashion, 
exactly  like  another  boy  would  have  done. 
"  We  would  not  make  use  of  you  and  then  cut 
you  afterwards.  And  please  don't  be  angry 
with  us,  if  I  tell  you  again,  that  we  simply 
can't  be  anything  but  just  acquaintances 
with  the  Nortons'  relatives  or  friends.  You 
understand,  don't  you?"  Jack  held  out  her 
hand  as  though  she  did  not  know  just  what  to 
do  or  say.  Jean  wouldn't  utter  a  word  to 
help  her. 

Frank  Kent  shook  Jack's  hand  warmly 
and  this  time  he  did  not  seem  offended. 

"All  right,"  he  answered  sadly.  "But  if 
there  is  ever  anything  I  can  do  to  help  you, 
I  am  going  to  do  it,  whether  we  are  friends 
or  not." 

And  though  Jack  and  Jean  did  not  see  how 


SEEKING  ADVICE  71 

this  strange  fellow  could  ever  be  mixed  up  in 
their  affairs,  they  were  comforted  somehow 
by  what  he  promised. 

"I  am  going  over  to  Mrs.  Simpson's  this 
afternoon,  Jean,"  Jack  announced  a  few 
minutes  after  their  guest's  departure.  "I 
know  people  say  that  we  ranch  girls  never 
take  anybody's  advice,  but  just  the  same  I  am. 
going  to  ask  Mrs.  Simpson  what  we  had  better 
do  about  this  Indian  child.  Will  you  come 
along?" 

Mrs.  Simpson,  the  ranch  girls'  most  intimate 
friend,  and  her  husband  were  the  wealthiest 
ranch  owners  in  that  part  of  Wyoming.  She 
was  a  typical  Western  woman,  with  a  big  heart 
and  a  sharp  tongue.  She  used  to  lecture  the 
girls  and  at  the  same  time  was  awfully  proud 
of  their  courage  and  independence. 

"I'm  game,  Jack,"  Jean  agreed,  "but  I 
haven't  any  proper  riding  habit.  I  wouldn't 
mind  a  bit  if  that  wretched  niece  of  Mrs. 
Simpson's  wasn't  there.  I  wish  you  had  seen 
how  she  stared  at  me  the  other  day  when  I 
called  Mrs.  Simpson,  Aunt  Sallie,  as  though 
we  hadn't  called  her  Aunt  all  the  days  of 
our  youth.  Do  you  think  Aunt  Ellen  could 
mend  this  for  me  before  we  go?"     Jean  held 


72       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

up  a  green  broadcloth  riding  habit  very  much 
the  worse  for  wear,  with  a  long  ugly  rent  in  it. 

"You  need  a  new  habit  dreadfully,  Jean/' 
Jack  declared.  "  I  am  afraid  we  haven't  any 
really  proper  clothes.  The  worst  of  it  is,  I 
don't  know  just  what  we  ought  to  have  or 
where  to  get  them.  I  wonder  if  we  are  too 
much  like  boys?" 

a  What's  the  odds,  Jack,  so  long  as  we  are 
happy,"  Jean  sang  out  cheerfully.  "  Besides, 
Jim  says  that  money  hasn't  been  flowing  in  to 
Rainbow  Ranch  any  too  plentifully  lately. 
It  takes  pretty  much  all  he  can  get  hold  of 
to  run  things,  so  I  thought  I  wouldn't  trou- 
ble about  another  habit.  But  the  idea  of 
that  fashionable  Miss  Laura  Post,  from  Miss 
Beatty's  school,  New  York  City,  staring  at  me 
with  her  china-blue  eyes  does  rattle  me.  She 
and  her  mother  treat  us  exactly  as  though  we 
were  a  Wild  West  show.  Besides  it  is  my 
unpleasant  impression  that  I  had  this  same 
tear  in  my  skirt  when  I  rode  over  to  Aunt 
Sallie's  the  last  time." 

"Jean,  you  are  lazy;  why  didn't  you  mend 
it  yourself?"  Jack  scolded.  "You  know 
Aunt  Ellen  can't  sew  a  bit.  Isn't  it  dreadful 
that  little  Frieda  is  the  only  one  of  us  who  ever 


SEEKING  ADVICE  73 

touches  a  needle  and  she  has  no  one  to  show 
her  how  to  sew,  poor  baby.  Come  along, 
I'll  see  what  I  can  do  with  your  old  skirt. 
Let's  go  in  the  Indian  girPs  room  while  I  do 
my  worst,  best,  I  mean." 

Olilie  had  very  little  to  tell  her  rescuers  of 
her  history.  She  could  not  explain  why 
Laska  wanted  her  to  live  with  her,  because  she 
had  always  hated  her  and  been  unkind  to  her. 
Olilie  had  but  one  friend,  a  teacher  in  the 
Indian  school  in  the  Indian  village  in  Wind 
Creek  valley.  The  sick  girl  did  not  talk  so 
freely  before  Jack,  as  she  seemed  a  little 
afraid  of  her,  but  she  begged  the  girls  to 
find  her  a  home  at  one  of  the  ranch  houses 
where  she  might  earn  her  living,  for  she 
declared  that  she  would  never  go  back  to  the 
"  Crow's  nest,"  as  old  Laska's  hut  was  called. 

Jack  and  Jean  galloped  swiftly  over  the  ten 
miles  that  lay  between  their  ranch  and  the 
Simpson's.  No  one  could  grow  tired,  no 
matter  how  long  the  ride,  in  this  glorious 
October  air  in  Wyoming,  as  clear  and  spark- 
ling as  crystal.  The  girls  forgot  their  diffi- 
culties, also  they  quite  failed  to  remember 
the  languid  young  lady  from  the  East  who  was 
Mrs.  Simpson's  adored  niece. 


74       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

A  mile  from  the  Simpson  ranch  house,  Jean 
stood  up  in  her  saddle  and  waved  a  challenge 
to  Jack.  "Beat  you  to  the  veranda!"  she 
called  back,  loosening  the  reins  on  her  pony's 
neck  and  giving  him  a  light  cut  with  her  quirt. 

Jean  was  off  like  a  shot  before  Jack  could 
get  a  start.  She  reached  the  porch  several 
yards  ahead  of  her  cousin.  But  Jack  was 
determined  not  to  be  outclassed  as  a  rider. 
Just  in  front  of  the  house  was  a  row  of  hitch- 
ing posts  about  five  feet  high.  "  Clear  the 
track,"  Jack  shouted. 

She  thrust  her  feet  forward  in  their  long, 
loose  Western  stirrups,  threw  her  body  back 
and  her  pony  rose  in  the  air  like  a  bird, 
straight  over  the  posts,  and  she  landed  at 
Jean's  side  with  a  small  Indian  war-whoop  of 
triumph. 

A  languid  clap  of  hands  from  the  front  porch 
and  a  horrified  exclamation,  made  Jean's 
cheeks  burn  and  Jack's  grey  eyes  kindle. 

"Buffalo  Bill  at  his  best!  I  congratulate 
you,"  a  soft  voice  exclaimed.  "  I  wish  you 
had  more  of  an  audience." 

Jack  laughed  lightly.  "Oh,  we  can  do 
ever  so  much  better  than  that,  when  we  try, 
Miss  Post;  perhaps  if  you  stay  out  West  for  a 


SEEKING  ADVICE  75 

while  we  may  show  you  how  to  ride.  We  would 
be  glad  to  do  anything  for  Aunt.  SalhVs 
guest."  Jack's  tones  were  sweetly  innocent, 
but  Jean  snickered. 

Laura  Post  bit  her  lips  angrily.  "Teach 
Laura  to  ride?"  her  mother  protested  in- 
dignantly. "Why  my  daughter  has  been 
trained  in  the  best  New  York  riding  acad- 
emies. I  am  afraid  they  would  not  care  for 
your  Western  riding  in  Central  Park." 

Jean  did  not  see  how  in  the  world  Jacqueline 
could  appear  so  undisturbed  by  the  vision  of 
elegance  which  confronted  them.  Laura  was 
dressed  in  a  soft  cream  flannel  skirt  and  coat 
with  a  pale  blue  blouse  and  wore  a  big  felt  hat 
with  a  blue  pompon  on  it,  to  shade  her  delicate 
peaches-and-cream  skin.  Jean  felt  Laura's 
eyes  fasten  on  the  long  rent  in  her  riding  skirt, 
which  Jack  had  mended,  with  such  an  expres- 
sion of  superior  amusement  that  she  wanted 
to  pull  her  hair  or  to  scratch  her,  or  to  do 
something  else  that  was  violent. 

Laura  Post  was  a  very  pretty  girl,  all 
daintiness  and  fluffiness.  She  had  very  light 
curly  hair  and  blue  eyes,  and  she  looked  as 
though  she  had  never  done  anything  for  her- 
self in  her  life.     Her  mother  was  just  like  her, 


76       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

only  a  more  faded  and  dressed-up  edition.  Jean 
did  not  know  why  they  both  made  her  feel  so 
awkward,  as  though  it  were  dreadfully  inele- 
gant to  have  one's  skin  tanned  and  hair  blown 
by  a  long,  glorious  ride  across  the  open  country. 

Mrs.  Post  and  Laura  would  not  go  when 
Mrs.  Simpson  came  out  and  sat  down  by  the 
ranch  girls,  holding  Jean's  hand  in  one  of  hers 
and  Jack's  in  the  other,  and  wondering  why 
Jean,  who  was  her  favorite  of  the  three  ranch 
girls,  looked  so  hot  and  uncomfortable. 

"The  first  thing  for  you  to  do,  Jacqueline 
Ralston,  is  to  bring  this  Indian  girl  over  here 
for  me  to  take  a  look  at  her,"  Mrs.  Simpson 
announced  at  the  end  of  Jack's  story.  "  I  was? 
going  to  send  a  note  over  to  you  this  very 
afternoon.  I  want  you  children  to  come  over 
to  spend  a  few  days  with  us.  I  would  like 
Laura  to  have  some  real  Western  parties  and 
good  times,  and  I  think  the  best  way  is  to 
have  you  stay  right  here  with  us.  There  isn't 
any  other  way  to  manage  with  you  young 
people  so  far  from  one  another,  so  bring  your 
Indian  girl  to  our  house  party.  I  confess  I 
am  curious  to  see  her." 

"  You  are  awfully  good,  Mrs.  Simpson,  but 
I  am  afraid  we  can't  come,"  Jack  answered 


SEEKING  ADVICE  77 

gratefully.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  Laura 
and  her  mother  were  both  staring  at  her, 
Jack  went  on:  "You  see  we  have  not  the 
right  clothes  to  stay  on  a  house  party.  I  am 
afraid  we  don't  even  understand  just  what  we 
ought  to  have.  Father  did  not  know  much 
about  girls'  things  and  we  have  never  had  any 
one  else  to  tell  us,  and  besides  I  don't  think 
your  niece  would  like  to  have  an  Indian  girl 
for  her  guest.  Olilie  is  awfully  shy,  and  I 
don't  expect  she  would  know  how  to  behave. " 

Mrs.  Simpson  gave  Jack  a  little  shake. 
"Nonsense,  Jacqueline  Ralston,  what  perfect 
foolishness  you  are  talking!  When  did  you 
begin  to  worry  about  clothes?  You  know  that 
you  and  Jean  are  belles  wherever  you  are.  As 
for  Laura,  I  am  sure  she  will  be  glad  enough  to 
have  the  Indian  girl  and  I'll  look  after  the  child. 
I  want  to  study  her.  If  she  is  a  regular  Indian, 
she  would  probably  be  hard  to  manage." 

Laura  shrugged  her  pretty  shoulders.  "  Oh 
yes,  please  do  bring  the  Indian  maiden  with 
you, "  she  remarked  with  an  innocent,  babyish 
expression  that  fooled  her  Aunt  but  not  her 
visitors.  "  I  am  sure  the  Indian  can't  be 
any  queerer  than  the  other  people  one  meets 
out  West." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  ARRIVAL  AT  THE  HOUSE  PARTY. 

'T  CAN'T  call  you  Olilie,  it  is  too  long  and 
too  funny  a  name,"  Frieda  announced. 

The  four  girls  were  being  driven  over  to  the 
Simpson  ranch  in  a  big  wagon,  which  was 
used  in  the  spring  as  one  of  the  mess-wagons 
at  the  roundup,  when  the  cowboys  brought 
in  the  stock  to  be  branded. 

Jack  sat  on  the  driver's  seat  with  Jim; 
Frieda,  Jean  and  Olilie  were  on  piles  of  straw 
in  the  back.  There  was  a  big,  rusty  valise 
between  them  which  contained  the  entire 
wardrobe  of  the  four  members  of  the  house 
party  from  Rainbow  Ranch. 

Jean  and  Jack  had  even  fewer  costumes 
than  usual,  for  they  had  divided  their  belong- 
ings with  the  Indian  girl,  and  the  valise 
was  the  very  same  one  that  Mr.  Ralston  had 
brought  across  the  prairies  with  him  fourteen 
years  before.  It  had  never  dawned  on  the 
girls  that  it  was  shabby  and  old-fashioned 
looking,  as  they  had  never  traveled  more 
than  a  few  miles  from  the  ranch  and  knew 

(78) 


ARRIVAL  AT  HOUSE  PARTY  79 

nothing  of  stylish  suit  cases  and  leather 
hand-bags. 

Jack  screwed  her  head  around  at  Frieda's 
words:  "I  wonder  if  you  would  mind  our 
calling  you  Olive,  instead  of  Olilie, "  she  sug- 
gested. "  It  is  ever  so  much  easier  to  say, 
and  I  have  always  thought  Olive  a  perfectly 
beautiful  name.  Besides  you  seem  like  a  wild 
olive,  you  are  so  pretty  and  Spanish-looking." 
Jack  spoke  carelessly,  not  dreaming  that 
the  young,  captive  girl  had  conceived  the 
deepest  devotion  to  her.  Olilie  was  grate- 
ful to  Jean  and  Frieda  for  their  kindness 
to  her,  but  as  long  as  she  lived  she  would 
remember  that  it  was  Jacqueline  who  had 
put  her  arms  about  her  and  brought  her  to 
the  ranch  house  on  the  day  she  had  decided 
that  she  could  bear  life  with  old  Laska  no 
longer.  Olilie  was  too  shy  to  show  what  she 
felt,  but  Jack  was  to  find  it  out  some  day  in  a 
wonderful  way. 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  have  you  call  me, 
Olive,"  she  answered,  in  the  musical  tones 
that  surprised  everybody  acquainted  with  the 
guttural  sounds  the  Indians  make  in  trying  to 
speak  English. 

Jim  turned  to  stare  back  of  him.    He  was 


80       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

very  much  displeased  with  this  latest  escapade 
of  the  ranch  girls,  and  had  no  idea  of  giving  his 
consent  to  their  keeping  this  girl.  Already 
he  had  ridden  over  to  tell  Laska  and  Josef  that 
they  could  have  her  back  in  a  few  days. 
Frieda  and  Jean  were  treating  this  Indian 
wench  like  a  sister,  and  a  stop  had  to  be  put 
to  their  nonsense.  Jim  swallowed  hard  as 
he  caught  sight  of  Olilie  whom  he  had  seen 
but  a  few  times  before  to-day :  "  Kind  of  wish 
the  girls  had  never  run  across  this  one/7  he 
muttered  to  himself.  "  They  have  got  plenty 
to  do  to  take  care  of  themselves." 

Olilie  looked  to-day  as  you  would  imagine 
a  gypsy  maiden  appeared  long  years  ago  in 
her  own  land  of  Romany.  She  had  on  a 
faded  blue  gown  of  Jean's  and  a  cape  of  Jack's; 
her  hair  was  parted  in  the  middle,  like  Jack's 
and  Frieda's  and  plaited  in  two  braids,  coming 
way  down  over  her  low  broad  forehead.  Her 
eyes  were  long  and  narrow,  of  a  clear  burning 
black,  her  skin  a  dark  olive  and  her  color 
spread  all  over  her  cheeks  instead  of  centering 
in  single,  bright  patches. 

"  Jack, "  Jim  whispered,  "  don't  you  say  too 
much  at  the  Simpson's  about  keeping  this 
Indian  girl  at  Rainbow  Ranch  and  don't  you 


ARRIVAL  AT  HOUSE  PARTY  81 

be  telling  anything  at  this  house  party  about 
what  is  worrying  us.  What  we  want  to  do  is 
to  keep  mum  and  fight  our  own  battles ;  if  we 
get  the  Indians  against  us,  the  cattle  and 
horses  will  disappear  faster  than  they  are 
going  now." 

There  were  at  least  a  dozen  young  people, 
the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  most  prosperous 
ranchmen  in  that  part  of  Wyoming,  scattered 
all  about  the  front  of  the  Simpson  ranch 
house  when  the  girls  drove  up  in  their  old 
wagon.  An  automobile  stood  in  front  of  the 
door,  for  Mr.  Simpson  was  an  up-to-date 
cattleman  and  rode  around  his  vast  place  in 
a  sixty  horse-power  machine,  instead  of  on 
the  back  of  a  shaggy  broncho. 

"Hurrah  for  the  Ranch  Girls  of  Rainbow 
Lodge  !"  some  one  shouted.  Jack  and  Jean 
and  Frieda  waved  their  hands,  but  Olive  was 
too  frightened  to  stir. 

The  girls  tumbled  out  of  the  wagon  one 
over  the  other,  tiying  to  speak  to  all  their 
friends  at  once.  People  did  not  see  each 
other  every  day  out  West  as  they  do  in 
smaller  places,  and  a  house  party  like  Mrs. 
Simpson's  was  a  notable  event. 

P  r;eda  kept  tight  hold  on  Olive,  knowing 


82       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

that  she  was  feeling  shy  and  the  little  girl  was 
glad  to  have  a  companion  herself,  as  most  of 
the  other  young  people  were  older. 

Mrs.  Simpson  stared  curiously  at  her  un- 
known visitor.  Then  she  patted  her  kindly. 
"Laura  does  not  see  that  you  have  come," 
she  explained  to  the  little  group. 

Jack  and  Jean  glanced  up  at  one  end  of  the 
long  veranda.  Laura  could  plainly  see  their 
arrival.  But  she  made  no  effort  to  welcome 
them.     She  was  talking  to  two  boys. 

"Children,  perhaps  I  ought  to  have  told 
you,"  Mrs.  Simpson  whispered,  "I  simply 
had  to  invite  Dan  Norton  and  his  guest  to  our 
house  party,  for  Laura  likes  Dan  better  than 
any  one  she  has  met  in  the  neighborhood. 
And  I  don't  approve  of  you  girls  carrying  on 
an  old  feud  simply  because  your  father  and 
Dan's  were  enemies." 

Jack  had  her  head  in  the  air  and  her  cheeks 
were  scarlet.  Jean  openly  rebelled:  "You 
ought  to  have  told  us,  Aunt  Sallie,  you  know 
we  have  a  perfect  right  to  hate  those  Nor- 
tons,"  she  murmured. 

"  Of  course  we  will  be  as  polite  as  we  know 
how,"  Jacqueline  agreed.  Bm,  Mrs.  Simpson 
downed:  she  knew  Jack's  high  temper  and 


ARRIVAL  AT  HOUSE  PARTY  83 

she  feared  there  would  be  a  clash  between  her 
and  Dan  before  the  house  party  was  over. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Miss  Ralston,  and  Miss 
Bruce  and  Frieda,"  Laura  Post  said  frigidly, 
holding  her  hand  so  high  up  in  the  air  to 
shake  hands  that  it  almost  touched  her  nose. 
"I  suppose  you  know  Mr.  Norton  and  his 
guest,  Mr.  Kent."  Laura  had  not  paid  the 
least  attention  to  the  existence  of  the  Indian 
girl.     Olilie  might  have  been  a  wooden  image. 

Jack  bowed  coldly  as  though  she  were 
speaking  to  perfect  strangers.  But  Jean's 
brown  eyes  laughed  and  Frieda  held  out  her 
hand  innocently  to  Frank  Kent :  "  I  am 
awfully  glad  to  see  you  again,"  she  said. 
"  See,  things  are  quite  all  right  so  far.  We 
still  have  our  new  friend  with  us." 

Jack  could  not  help  flashing  a  grateful  look 
at  Frank  Kent.  He  came  over  at  once  and 
bowed  in  his  best  English  fashion  to  Olive, 
and  then  stood  by  her  while  the  others  were 
talking. 

"There  goes  the  latest  addition  to  the 
wonderful  maidens  who  are  running  their 
own  ranch,"  Laura  breathed  in  an  undertone 
to  Dan  Norton,  as  the  newcomers  moved 
toward  the  door  to  go  to  their  rooms. 


84       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Dan  laughed.  "  Their  ranch,  did  you  say? 
We  have  a  different  idea  over  at  our  place  as 
to  whom  Rainbow  Ranch  belongs.  Those 
girls  are  a  bit  too  sure  of  themselves;  I  ex- 
pect to  see  their  pride  taken  down  a  peg  or 
two  some  day." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  Laura  whispered 
excitedly,  her  cheeks  getting  pinker  and  her 
eyes  sparkling  from  curiosity. 

Dan  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  waited 
until  he  was  sure  that  Frank  could  not  hear 
him.  "  Oh,  we  don't  talk  about  it  much  out 
here ;  remember  I  am  telling  you  this  in  the 
strictest  confidence,"  he  went  on.  "But 
Rainbow  Ranch  actually  belongs  to  my 
father  and  me.  You  see,  it  is  like  this: 
Father  came  to  Wyoming  before  Mr.  Ralston 
did.  And  father  and  some  friends  laid  claim 
to  the  best  part  of  the  Ralston  ranch.  Mr. 
Ralston  says  he  bought  the  ranch  from 
father's  friends  and  father  says  he  had 
already  purchased  their  part.  So  you  under- 
stand the  mix-up.  But  the  bully  thing  is, 
that  since  Mr.  Ralston' s  death  the  girls  have 
never  been  able  to  find  his  title  to  the  property . 
They  haven't  a  sign  of  a  paper  to  prove  they 
are  the  owners  of  Rainbow  Ranch.     Court 


ARRIVAL  AT  HOUSE  PARTY  85 

records  did  not  use,  to  be  kept  very  well  in 
Wyoming.  We  are  not  sure  about  it,  but 
father  is  working  quietly.  Some  day  we  will 
bring  suit  and  just  take  possession  of  their 
place;  won't  it  be  corking?  Rainbow  Ranch 
is  right  next  ours,  and  when  we  get  it  we  will 
have  the  biggest  ranch  in  this  part  of  the 
state.  If  you  stay  out  here  long  enough, 
you  may  see  some  fun." 

Laura  nodded  eagerly.  She  did  not  like 
the  ranch  girls,  besides  she  was  one  of  the 
disagreeable  persons  who  dearly  love  to  see 
other  people  in  hot  water.  She  did  not  mind 
how  much  it  hurt  them  so  long  as  it  did  not 
affect  her.  "  No,  I  will  never  tell  anybody 
what  you  have  told  me,"  she  agreed  confi- 
dentially. "  Only  if  anything  should  develop, 
you  will  be  sure  to  tell  me  about  it,  won't 
you?"  she  begged. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A   VISIT  TO   OLD   LASKA. 

"  TACK,  Aunt  Sallie  will  take  us  over  to  the 
Indian  village  this  afternoon  if  you  wish 
to  go,"  Jean  said  next  day. 

Jean  and  Jack  thought  they  were  entirely 
alone.  They  did  not  realize  that  the 
door  of  the  little  room  next  theirs,  which 
Frieda  and  the  Indian  girl  occupied,  was 
open. 

"Why  should  we  go  to  the  village,  Jean?" 
Jack  inquired  indifferently.  She  had  just 
discovered  a  thrilling  novel  and  she  wanted 
to  be  left  in  peace  to  read  it. 

"  Because  something  has  to  be  done  about 
Olive  at  once,"  Jean  insisted  valiantly.  "  You 
know  perfectly  well,  that  it  isn't  fair  for  us  to 
keep  her  in  suspense  about  what  is  to  become 
of  her  and  then  maybe  turn  her  off  and  send 
her  back  to  old  Laska  in  the  end.  We  must 
find  out  if  there  is  any  chance  of  her  not  being 
Laska' s  real  child  and  if  not,  what  right  she 
has  to  her.  Aunt  Sallie  says  she  will  keep 
Olive  here  as  a  maid  for  Laura  if  we  don't 

(86) 


A  VISIT  TO  OLD  LASKA  87 

want  her  at  the  ranch  and  we  can  get  her 
away  from  the  Indians." 

"Maid  for  Laura!"  Jack  bit  her  lips  in- 
dignantly. Jean  kept  her  face  turned  away, 
so  that  Jack  could  not  see  her  expression. 
She  knew  that  her  cousin  was  very  undecided 
about  what  they  ought  to  do  with  their 
protegee  and  was  anxious  to  influence  Jack 
for  Olive's  sake. 

"  I  don't  think  that  Olilie— I  mean  Olive 
— is  very  well  suited  for  such  a  distinguished 
position  as  maid  to  Miss  Laura  Post,"  Jack 
replied.  "  I  think  if  I  were  the  Indian  girl  I 
should  prefer  to  remain  with  the  Indians. 
Of  course  I  will  go  over  to  the  village  with  you 
and  Aunt  Sallie  whenever  you  like." 

Jean  put  her  arm  around  her  cousin. 
"You  won't  be  cross  about  something  if  I 
tell  you,  will  you?"  she  urged  coaxingly. 

Jack  frowned.  "  I  don't  know,  Jean  Bruce, 
what  is  it  now?"  she  demanded,  for  she  could 
guess  by  the  half  mischievous,  half  concilia- 
tory expression  in  Jean's  brown  eyes,  that 
she  had  something  to  confide  which  would 
not  be  to  her  liking. 

"Aunt  Sallie  has  asked  Frank  Kent  to 
drive  over  to  the  Indian  village  with  us," 


88       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Jean  returned.  "  You  see  he  has  never  seen 
an  Indian  village,  and  being  an  Englishman, 
Aunt  Sallie  naturally  thought  he  would  be 
curious  about  one.  So  after  all  he  is  going  to 
help  us  to  find  out  about  Olive,  although  you 
refused  to  allow  him.     Funny,  isn't  it?" 

This  was  a  very  unwise  fashion  for  Jean 
Bruce  to  have  explained  the  situation  to  Jack, 
for  if  there  was  one  thing  which  Miss  Jacque- 
line B,alston  did  particularly  like,  it  was  to 
have  her  own  way.  Having  said  that  she 
desired  no  assistance  from  their  new  acquaint- 
ance in  their  efforts  for  Olilie,  she  was  not 
going  to  be  forced  into  accepting  it  against 
her  will. 

Jack  quietly  removed  her  big  Mexican  hat, 
sat  down  comfortably  in  her  chair  and  re- 
opened her  book.  "  Oh,  very  well,"  she 
remarked  carelessly.  "  Then  I  won't  go  with 
you  at  all.  My  presence  won't  be  in  the  least 
necessary.  You  and  Aunt  Sallie  and  Mr. 
Kent  can  make  all  the  investigations  and 
decide  what  is  best  to  do  without  any  inter- 
ference from  me." 

Jack  arched  her  level  brows,  dilated  her 
nostrils  and  half  closed  her  eyes.  Jean  knew 
that  particular  obstinate  expression  of  her 


A  VISIT  TO  OLD  LASKA  89 

cousin's  and  said  nothing  more  for  a  few 
moments,  but  put  on  her  own  coat  and  hat 
and  started  to  leave  the  room.  At  the  door 
she  turned  to  her  cousin.  "Jacqueline  Ral- 
ston/ '  she  inquired  coolly,  "has  it  ever 
occurred  to  you,  that  you  are  a  very  hard- 
headed  and  selfish  person?" 

Jack's  grey  eyes  grew  steely.  "  Oh,  do  go 
on,  Jean  dear,"  she  urged  politely.  "  Tell  me 
any  other  nice  things  you  know  about  me; 
one  always  is  appreciated  by  one's  relatives." 

Jean  flushed.  "  Don't  be  so  hateful,  Jack," 
she  pleaded.  "  Can't  you  see  that  it  is  self- 
ish of  you  to  refuse  to  go  with  us  to  try  to 
find  out  about  Olilie?  You  brought  her  home 
to  the  ranch,  and  you  know  you  will  be  able 
to  stand  up  for  her  and  find  out  more  about 
her  than  either  Aunt  Sallie  or  I  can.  Aunt 
Sallie  means  well,  but  goodness  knows  she 
isn't  tactful.  And  you  know  you  are  obsti- 
nate to  stay  at  home  simply  because  Frank 
Kent  is  to  go  with  us.  Aunt  Sallie  did  not 
know  what  you  had  said  to  him,  and  simply 
wanted  to  show  him  one  of  our  modern  Indian 
settlements.  It  is  one  of  the  things  he  came 
West  to  see." 

"Oh,   I  don't  blame  Aunt  Sallie,"   Jack 


90       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

replied,    slightly    appeased    by    Jean's  half- 
hearted apology. 

"Well,  you  needn't  blame  Frank  Kent, 
either/'  Jean  retorted  quickly.  "You  can 
put  every  bit  of  the  blame  on  me.  Frank 
Kent  told  Aunt  Sallie  that  he  did  not  think  he 
would  care  to  go  with  us  and  behaved  so 
queer  and  stiffish  that  she  was  offended  with 
him.  I  knew  he  was  thinking  about  what  you 
had  said,  so  I  just  marched  up  to  him  and 
told  him  that  if  he  had  refused  Mrs.  Simpson's 
invitation  because  he  thought  you  would  not 
wish  him  to  come  along  with  us,  he  was  entire- 
ly mistaken.  You  see  I  thought  you  would 
not  want  him  to  give  up  the  pleasure  of  the 
trip,  just  on  your  account.  He  is  a  guest 
here  with  us  and  I  can  see  no  sense  in  your 
being  so  uppish.  It  is  perfectly  foolish,  Jack." 
This  time  Jean  opened  the  door.  "  Jacqueline 
Ralston,  c-h-u-m-p  spells  chump.  It  is 
exactly  what  you  are." 

Jack's  bad  tempers  had  a  way  of  ending 
abruptly.  "Wait  a  minute,  please,  Jean," 
she  called  persuasively,  "  I  expect  you  are 
right.     I  will  come  along." 

Jean  gave  Jack  a  hug  as  they  went  out  of 
the   room  together,  which   was  intended  to 


A  VISIT  TO  OLD  LASKA  91 

convey  the  idea  that,  though  what  she 
had  just  said  to  her  cousin  was  perfectly- 
true,  she  was  sorry  to  have  been  obliged  to 
say  it. 

Jack  had  another  shock  as  she  was  about 
to  get  into  the  Simpson  motor  car.  Seated 
on  the  comfortable  rear  seat  and  engaged  in 
airy  conversation  were  Dan  Norton  and 
Laura  Post  with  Mrs.  Simpson  beside  them. 
Jean  and  Jean's  special  friend,  Harry  Pryer 
occupied  the  centre  chairs.  So  Jack  and 
Frank  Kent,  as  the  car  only  held  seven 
people,  were  compelled  to  crowd  in  front  with 
the  chauffeur. 

"You  are  sure  you  don't  mind  my  going 
over  with  you,"  said  Frank  Kent  in  an 
apologetic  tone  and  turning  a  deep  red.  "  I 
can  just  as  easily  stay  at  the  ranch,  if  you 
prefer  it." 

No  girl  could  be  proof  against  such  good 
manners  as  Frank  Kent's,  certainly  not 
Jacqueline  Ralston. 

The  Indian  village  was  not  so  very  far  from 
the  Simpson  ranch,  in  the  way  that  Western 
people  count  distances.  Pretty  soon  the 
automobile  party  saw  circles  of  smoke  arising 
in  the  air.     On  a  rounded  green  slope  of  the 


92       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

prairie  near  a  little  river  was  a  collection  of 
wigwams    and    huts. 

"  I  am  jolly  glad  some  of  the  Indians  still 
live  in  tepees/7  Frank  confided  to  Jack.  "  I 
was  dreadfully  afraid  that  your  up-to-date, 
government-cared-for  'Injun/  was  going  to 
be  just  like  everybody  else  and  wear  store 
clothes  and  live  in  a  regular  American  house, 
and  then  what  could  I  have  to  tell  my  people 
when  I  go  back  home  to  England?" 

Frank  was  staring  ahead  of  him  and  for  the 
first  time  since  his  first  meeting  with  Jack,  he 
had  entirely  gotten  over  his  British  shyness. 

"Don't  you  worry,"  Jack  answered  gaily. 
"  I  am  awfully  glad  you  have  come  with  us. 
Now  you'll  see  the  real  thing!  Of  course, 
some  of  our  Indians  have  been  educated  and 
civilized,  but  I  am  sure  many  of  them  are  just 
the  same  in  their  hearts  as  they  used  to  be, 
and  would  lead  the  same  kind  of  lives  if  they 
had  a  chance.  I  can  tell  you  they  try  to  get 
their  revenge,  if  you  make  them  angry!" 

There  were  a  number  of  lean  horses  grazing 
near  the  village.  The  streets  were  dreadfully 
dirty  and  overflowing  with  thin,  brown  chil- 
dren rolling  in  the  sand  and  playing  with 
wolfish,  half-fed  dogs.     In  front  of  the  rude 


A  VISIT  TO  OLD  LASKA  93 

huts  or  the  cone-shaped  tents  with  sheafs  of 
poles  extending  through  their  tops,  were  big 
Indian  men,  as  solemn,  silent  and  terrify- 
ing as  though  they  had  been  Indian  war  chiefs 
meditating  on  some  terrible  massacre.  Most 
of  them  wore  fringed  leather  trousers  and  had 
bright  blankets  wrapped  about  them.  They 
were  calmly  smoking,  and  only  barely  turned 
their  narrow  eyes  to  glance  at  the  automobile, 
as  it  passed  by  them. 

Near  most  of  the  dwellings  were  outdoor 
fires,  with  pots  boiling  above  them,  as  few  of 
the  Indians  can  make  up  their  minds  to  use 
kitchen  stoves  instead  of  their  familiar  camp- 
fires.  Old  women  sat  near  the  fires,  stringing 
bright  beads,  or  weaving  mats.  Some  of 
them  were  making  Indian  blankets  on  rude 
frames  of  logs,  set  upright  some  feet  apart, 
and  strung  with  cords,  like  an  old-fashioned 
wooden  loom. 

The  chauffeur  slowed  down  and  the  girls  and 
boys  could  see  that  the  Indians  were  talking 
about  their  party,  making  queer  sounds  and 
signs  to  one  another.  The  women  rushed  out 
with  trinkets  to  sell,  the  children  sat  cross- 
legged  in  the  dirt,  the  dogs  barked  and  young 
women  with  babies  on  their  backs  crept  out 


94       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

of  their  doors.  But  among  the  whole  number, 
there  was  no  sign  of  Laska  or  Josef. 

Laura  bought  quantities  of  Indian  bead- 
work  and  pottery.  She  would  not  let  her 
Aunt  inquire  for  the  Indian  girPs  people  until 
she  had  seen  everything  there  was  to  be  seen. 
Frank  timidly  offered  Jack  a  string  of  blue 
beads,  when  he  saw  that  Jean  had  accepted  a 
small  gift  from  Harry  Pryor,  and  Jack  received 
them  very  graciously,  wishing  to  show  that  she 
no  longer  resented  Frank's  having  made  the 
trip. 

"  Can  you  tell  me  where  to  find  the  home 
of  Laska  ?"  Mrs.  Simpson  inquired  of  an 
Indian  girl,  who  looked  more  intelligent  than 
the  others  and  spoke  very  good  English. 

The  girl  shook  her  head.  "  Don't  know,"  she 
replied  stupidly.  Mrs.  Simpson  asked  half  a 
dozen  other  people.  Some  of  them  spoke,  others 
only  grunted  dully.  "  Crow's  Nest,"  Laska's 
hut,  had  apparently  never  been  heard  of. 

"  Let's  don't  waste  time  asking  questions, 
Aunt  Sallie,"  Jack  called  back.  "The  Indians 
won't  tell  you  about  each  other  unless  they 
know  what  you  want.  Let's  drive  straight  to 
the  school;  Olilie's  teacher  can  best  tell  us 
what  to  do." 


A  VISIT  TO  OLD  LASKA  95 

In  the  midst  of  the  Indian  village  were 
three  well-built  houses,  the  trading  store,  a 
small  church  and  the  school.  Mrs.  Simpson 
and  Jack  went  into  the  schoolhouse  together 
and  were  gone  for  half  an  hour.  When  they 
came  out,  Jack's  face  was  crimson  with  ex- 
citement and  Mrs.  Simpson  looked  deeply 
interested.  She  entered  the  car  after  telling 
her  chauffeur  exactly  how  to  find  old  Laska's 
hut,  but  neither  she  nor  Jack  gave  any  account 
to  the  others  of  what  the  teacher  at  the  In- 
dian school  had  told  them  of  Olilie. 

Jean  could  not  bear  it.  She  gave  Jack  a 
little  shake.  "What  are  you  so  mysterious 
about  ?"  she  questioned  softly.  "  Olilie  is  not 
Laska's  child,  is  she?  You  have  found  out 
something  about  her  and  you  don't  dare  tell." 

Jack  hesitated.  "  It  is  queerer  than  we 
thought,"  she  confessed.  "  Mrs.  Merton,  Oli- 
lie's  teacher,  does  not  think  that  Olilie  is 
Laska*  s  child,  but  she  has  no  way  of  proving  it. 
The  funny  thing  is,  she  says  that  Laska  gets 
money  each  month  for  taking  care  of  Olilie 
and  that  is  why  she  does  not  wish  to  give  her 
up.  No  one  knows  who  sends  her  the  money 
nor  where  it  comes  from,  Mrs.  Merton  says. 
But  maybe  if  we  tell  Laska  that  she  can  keep 


96       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

this  money  if  she  lets  us  have  Olilie,  she  will 
give  her  up  to  us.  Mrs.  Merton  has  tried  to 
get  Olilie  away  from  Laska  herself  and  to  find 
out  more  about  her,  but  she  has  never  learned 
the  least  little  thing." 

Laska's  hut  was  better  than  many  of  the 
other  Indian  houses,  being  made  of  timber 
plastered  with  mud  and  with  a  dirt  roof.  The 
door  was  half  open,  but  it  was  impossible  to 
tell  whether  any  one  inside  saw  the  approach 
of  the  automobile. 

Jack  and  Jean  ran  up  the  path  ahead, 
without  waiting  for  Mrs.  Simpson  and  were 
almost  at  Laska's  door  when  a  low,  savage 
growl  stopped  them.  Jean  stepped  back  a 
moment  and  clutched  at  Jack's  skirts,  but 
Jack  went  on  without  thinking  of  danger. 
She  only  half  heard  Jean's  cry  of  warning  as 
she  lifted  her  hand  to  knock  on  the  door. 
In  that  second  a  great,  grey  figure  sprang 
up  in  front  of  her  and  Jack  saw  two  rows  of 
sharp  teeth  on  a  level  with  her  throat.  She 
had  lived  all  her  life  among  the  wild  animais 
of  the  prairies  and  of  the  ranch,  and  knew  that 
if,  in  a  second  of  danger,  she  flinched  or  show- 
ed cowardice,  she  was  lost.  How  she  was  able 
to  stand  perfectly  still  for  that  second  she  did 


A  VISIT  TO  OLD  LASKA  97 

not  know,  for  a  moment  later,  she  gasped  and 
turned  white  as  a  sheet,  but  Jean  and  Mrs. 
Simpson  caught  her.  Frank  Kent  had  man- 
aged in  some  remarkable  fashion  to  get  in 
front  of  Jack  and  strike  down  the  huge  brute 
with  his  stick.  A  few  minutes  later  Laska 
came  to  the  door  of  her  hut.  She  had  seen 
Jean  and  Jack  approaching  alone  and  had 
not  known  what  friends  they  had  with 
them. 

A  long  and  useless  conversation  followed. 
Laska  would  give  no  satisfaction  about  Olilie, 
insisting  that  the  girl  was  her  child,  that  she 
knew  nothing  of  any  money  that  came  for 
her  care.  Josef  was  away,  but  they  both 
wanted  the  girl  to  return  home. 

Mrs.  Simpson  grew  weary  of  argument  and 
pleading.  "Look  here,  Laska/7  she  said  at 
last,  "we  are  not  going  to  allow  the  Indian 
girl  to  come  back  to  you.  Any  one  could 
look  at  you  both  and  see  that  she  is  not  your 
own  child,  and  if  you  try  to  get  her  away  from 
us  or  to  molest  her  in  any  way,  I  shall  make 
it  my  business  to  find  out  who  sends  you 
money  for  her  and  you  shall  have  neither 
the  money  nor  the  girl." 

Laska    made    no    further    objection,    but 


98       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

neither  Jean,  nor  Jack,  nor  Frank  Kent  liked 
the  expression  of  her  face,  as  she  watched 
them  leave  her  cabin.  She  made  a  sign  of 
some  kind  in  the  air  and  mumbled  a  curious 
Indian  incantation  that  had  a  menacing 
sound. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    ESCAPE    FROM  THE    DANCE. 

"  TTis  all  settled,  Laura  dear,"  Mrs.  Simpson 
announced  comfortably  as  the  automo- 
bile drew  up  in  front  of  her  ranch-house  door. 
"The  Indian  girl  is  to  stay  with  us  and  be 
your  maid,  as  your  mother  says  you  are  accus- 
tomed to  having  some  one  to  look  after  you, 
and  Mrs.  Merton  tells  me  she  has  taught  this 
Olilie  how  to  behave  about  a  house.  She 
seems  to  have  made  quite  a  pet  of  her.  I 
haven't  talked  it  over  with  Jean  and  Jack  yet, 
but  I  am  sure  it  would  be  most  unwise  for 
them  to  attempt  to  keep  the  Indian  girl  at 
their  ranch.  They  have  Aunt  Ellen  and  Zack 
to  do  their  work,  and  indeed  they  ought  to 
have  some  one  to  look  after  them,  instead 
of  undertaking  to  care  for  some  one  else." 
Mrs.  Simpson  nodded  emphatically.  She  was 
fond  of  giving  advice,  a  little  more  fond  than 
Jean  and  Jack  were  of  receiving  it. 

The  ranch  girls  said  nothing,  but  Frank 
broke  in  to  the  conversation,  unexpectedly. 
"Oh,    I   say,    Mrs.    Simpson,"    he  remarked 

(99) 


100     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

thoughtfully.  "  Don't  you  know,  this  Olilie, 
or  Olive  as  you  sometimes  call  her,  don't 
strike  me  in  the  least  as  belonging  to  the  ser- 
vant class.  Of  course  we  look  at  these  things 
differently  in  England  from  what  you  do  out 
West,  but  this  girl  is  so  gentle  and  refined,  it 
seems  to  me  she  ought  to  have  a  real  chance." 

Jack  smiled  gratefully,  with  her  head 
turned  away.  "  I  think  so  too/'  she  mur- 
mured to  herself.  "  I  only  wish  we  knew  how 
to  manage  it." 

The  house  party  was  to  have  a  dance  at  the 
ranch  house  that  evening.  Jean  and  Jack 
and  Frieda  had  never  had  any  real  dancing 
lessons,  but  the  two  older  girls  were  accus- 
tomed to  going  to  the  informal  parties  at  the 
other  ranch  houses.  They  knew  how  to  dance 
the  waltz,  two-step  and  quadrille,  and  it  never 
occurred  to  them  that  Laura  would  try  to 
introduce  the  new  style  dances  at  their 
Western  party.  Of  course  some  of  her  guests 
had  been  to  schools  in  the  big  Western  cities 
and  understood  the  latest  dances,  Dan  Nor- 
ton had  spent  a  year  at  the  Leland  Stanford 
University,  and,  though  he  had  not  been  able 
to  pass  his  Sophomore  exams.,  he  considered 
himself  very  superior  to  the  boys  and  girb 


ESCAPE  FROM  THE  DANCE  101 

who  had  never  been  away  either  to  college 
or  school. 

The  three  ranch  girls  were  not  worried  about 
their  dancing,  but  they  were  about  their  cos- 
tumes. Mrs.  Simpson  had  suggested  that 
Olive  would  feel  shy,  if  she  came  to  the  party, 
and  she  was  grateful  to  be  left  out.  If  only 
Jean  and  Jack  would  tell  her  what  they  had 
found  out  at  the  Indian  village,  and  what  they 
meant  to  do  with  her!  But  the  girls  did  not 
realize  that  the  Indian  girl  knew  anything  of 
their  trip  of  the  afternoon  or  that  she  was 
eating  her  heart  out  in  silence  rather  than  ask 
them  what  had  occurred. 

Jean  shook  out  her  party  dress  anxiously; 
Jack  surveyed  hers  with  an  expression  half  of 
affection  and  half  of  disdain.  The  dresses 
were  their  best  last  summer  frocks  and  Jim 
had  gone  over  to  Laramie  and  brought  them 
home  with  him  in  triumph.  They  were  not 
what  the  girls  would  have  chosen  for  them- 
selves, but  they  had  been  proud  of  them  until 
to-night. 

"  Do  you  think  she  will  laugh  at  us,  Jack?" 
Jean  inquired,  bravely.  "  I  am  sure  I  don't 
care  if  she  does. " 

At  least  poor  Jim  had  had  a  good  eye  for 


102     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

color,  if  the  materials  he  had  chosen  for  the 
girls'  gowns  were  odd. 

Jean's  was  a  soft  rose  color,  just  the  shade  of 
the  wild  rose  that  covers  the  western  prairies 
in  the  early  spring  and  the  girl  smiled  slightly 
as  she  looked  at  herself  critically  in  the  glass. 
The  gown  was  becoming  to  her  nut-brown  hair 
and  eyes  and  her  clear,  colorless  skin. 

Jack  was  dressing  Frieda  in  a  corner. 
"You  are  pretty  as  a  picture,  Jean!"  she 
insisted.  "  Please  don't  care  so  much  about 
what  Laura  Post  may  think.  Come  and  kiss 
Frieda,  she  is  sweet  enough  to  eat." 

Frieda's  costume  was  the  prettiest  of  the 
three,  although  it  was  of  coarse  white  em- 
broidery, such  as  only  a  man  would  buy. 
Her  long  blonde  hair  was  freshly  braided  and 
tied  with  pale  blue  ribbons,  and  around  her 
plump  little  waist  was  a  blue  sash  which 
in  color  matched  her  eyes,  sparkling  now 
from  excitement  at  attending  her  first  dance. 
Jean  marched  Frieda  over  to  a  chair  and  held 
her  in  her  lap,  so  that  Jack  could  get  ready  to 
go  to  the  reception  room  with  them. 

Jacqueline  Ralston  thought  little  about  her 
own  appearance.  She  probably  knew  she 
was  Dretty.  most-coretty  people  are  aware  of  it. 


ESCAPE  FROM  THE  DANCE  103 

but  Jack  had  really  had  so  much  to  do  and 
so  many  things  to  think  about,  that  she  had 
almost  none  of  the  vanities  of  most  girls  of 
sixteen.  She  coiled  her  gold-brown  braids 
around  her  head  in  simple  fashion,  though  she 
uusally  wore  them  down,  as  it  was  so  difficult 
to  keep  her  hair  up  when  she  was  on  horseback. 
But  to-night,  in  honor  of  the  party,  she  wished 
to  look  more  grown  up.  Jack's  hair  waved 
from  the  roots  to  the  ends  and  broke  out  all 
over  her  forehead  in  wayward  curls  and  was 
particularly  becoming  to  her,  arranged  in  a 
simple  coronet.  In  five  minutes  she  had  on 
her  blue  cotton  crepe  gown  and  the  three 
went  into  Mrs.  Simpson's  big  living-room. 

The  room  had  a  hardwood  floor  and  had 
been  charmingly  decorated  with  evergreens, 
which  the  men  'had  brought  in  from  the 
woods  at  the  far  end  of  the  Simpson  Ranch. 

"Oh,  Jack,  Jean,  look!"  Frieda  suddenly 
gasped.  A  vision  of  fashionable  loveliness 
swept  before  their  girlish  eyes.  Miss  Laura 
Post  was  crossing  the  room  followed  by  her 
mother.  Jack  and  Jean  felt  like  creeping 
back  to  their  bedroom,  not  realizing  how 
inappropriate  Laura's  and  her  mother's 
costumes  were  for  such  a  simple  home  party. 


a04     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Laura  was  a  picture  and  looked  as  if  she  had 
just  stepped  out  of  the  pages  of  a  magazine. 
She  wore  a  white  lace  gown  over  silk  and 
chiffon,  trimmed  in  silver  lace.  Her  hair  was 
elaborately  dressed  in  a  bewildering  mass  of 
small,  blonde  puffs  and  around  her  neck  a 
string  of  pearls  shone  softly.  Mrs.  Post  was 
in  violet  satin,  and  wore  a  diamond  crescent, 
which  made  Frieda's  round  eyes  open  wider 
and  wider.  She  had  never  seen  real  dia- 
monds, only  their  crystal  imitations  shining 
in  the  great  Wyoming  rocks. 

For  a  little  while  Jean  and  Jack  felt  as 
dowdy  as  old  rag  dolls,  but  when  the  dancing 
began  they  forgot  to  care  about  their  clothes. 
There  were  a  number  of  other  guests  besides 
the  house  party,  who  had  driven  over  to  the 
dance,  and  most  of  them  were  friends  of  the 
ranch  girls. 

Frank  did  not  ask  Jack  to  dance  nor  did  he 
make  any  effort  to  talk  to  her.  She  had  said  she 
could  not  be  friends  with  him  and  he  did  not 
mean  to  take  advantage  of  their  being  at  the 
same  house  party  together,  to  thrust  himself 
upon  her,  as  his  attentions  seemed  unwelcome. 

After  supper,  Laura  Post  grew  tired  of  the 
simple  old-fashioned  waltz  which  had  enter- 


ESCAPE  FROM  THE  DANCE  105 

tained  her  visitors  the  first  of  the  evening, 
and  insisted  that  the  Spanish  waltz  was  the 
newest  thing  in  her  set,  and  that  she  wanted 
to  try  it.  She  managed  to  get  half  a  dozen 
young  people  to  attempt  it  with  her  while 
others  sat  around  the  wall. 

Jean  dearly  loved  to  dance,  and  had  no 
intention  of  being  a  wall  flower,  so  she  and 
Harry  Pryor  slipped  out  on  the  big  ranch 
veranda  to  talk.  It  was  a  wonderful  moonlight 
night,  as  clear  and  brilliant  as  the  day,  and 
across  the  wide  stretch  of  lowlands  the  moon 
shimmered  and  shone,  as  if  reflected  on  the 
still  surface  of  the  ocean. 

Jacqueline  Ralston  saw  Jean  and  Harry 
disappear;  slowly  she  followed  them  and 
stood  for  a  moment  drinking  in  the  wonderful 
beauty  of  the  Western  night,  then  crossed 
to  Jean  and  Harry. 

"Jean,  Harry,  wouldn't  it  be  a  glorious 
night  for  a  ride?"  she  asked  breathlessly. 
"  Do  you  think  it  would  be  wrong  if  we  should 
go  for  a  little  run  across  the  prairies?  We 
could  easily  find  the  trail,  for  it  is  as  bright  as 
daytime." 

Jean  clapped  her  hands  softly.  "Bully!" 
Harry  announced   quietly.     "  It  is  not   ten 


106     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

o'clock  yet  and  we  can  be  back  long  before  the 
dance  breaks  up.  Til  go  saddle  the  ponies 
while  you  girls  slip  into  your  riding  togs. " 

"  Be  sure  to  get  Hotspur  and  Frisk,  Jean's 
pony,"  Jack  entreated.  "Jim  sent  over  our 
own  ponies  from  the  ranch,  and  I  simply  hate 
to  ride  any  horse  but  dear  little  Hotspur." 

Just  as  Jean  and  Jack  slipped  into  the 
front  hall  to  go  to  their  room,  Frank  Kent 
stepped  out  on  the  porch.  He  was  looking 
pale  and  ill,  for  the  heat  of  the  room  and  the 
effort  of  dancing  had  brought  the  old  weak- 
ness back  on  him  that  he  had  felt  only  a  few 
times  since  his  coming  to  Wyoming. 

Jack  felt  a  sudden  wave  of  sympathy  and 
friendliness.  She  touched  Frank  lightly  on 
the  arm :  "  My  cousin  and  I  and  Harry  Pryor 
are  going  to  steal  away  from  the  dance  for  a 
little  horseback  ride.  Would  you  care  to 
come  with  us?"  she  asked. 

Frank's  face  lost  most  of  its  pallor.  He 
immediately  insisted  that  the  one  thing  in  the 
world  he  most  wished  to  do  was  to  take  a  moon- 
light ride  across  the  prairies. 

Ten  minutes  later  the  two  girls  and  two 
boys  cantered  away  from  the  Simpson  ranch. 
They  had  no  thought  of  staying  out  long,  and 


ESCAPE  FROM  THE  DANCE  107 

had  left  word  with  Mrs.  Simpson's  maid  that 
they  would  be  back  in  about  an  hour.  Aunt 
Sallie  was  too  busy  with  her  other  guests  to  be 
interrupted,  and  it  never  dawned  on  the  girls 
that  they  should  not  have  gone  for  a  ride  at 
night,  for  they  were  just  like  a  couple  of  care- 
less boys. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Jacqueline's  misfortune. 

T^O  one  side  of  Mr.  Simpson's  big  ranch  lay 
a  new  orchard.  The  ranch  people  in 
Wyoming  were  just  beginning  to  discover  what 
wonderful  fruit  could  be  grown  in  certain 
portions  of  their  cattle  country  and  Jean  and 
Jack  were  dreadfully  envious  of  their  neigh- 
bor's five  acres  of  pears,  plums,  apples  and 
cherries.  Their  own  poor  orchard  had  been 
set  out  only  two  years  before  and  the  trees 
appeared  like  a  collection  of  feeble  switches. 

"  Let's  ride  through  the  orchard  and  fill  our 
pockets  with  apples  before  we  start  on  our 
way,"  Harry  suggested.  The  moonlight  was 
so  clear  and  radiant  that  the  boys  could  dis- 
tinguish the  color  of  the  few  late  apples  that 
still  hung  on  the  trees.  The  road  back  of  the 
orchard  led  to  a  trail  across  the  prairies, 
which  neither  the  ranch  girls  nor  Harry  knew. 
It  seemed  to  travel  to  the  land  of  nowhere 
across  a  shining  path  of  light. 

Jacqueline  took  the  lead,  followed  by  Frank 

(108) 


JACQUELINE'S  MISFORTUNE  109 

Kent,  Jean  and  Harry.  The  ponies  had  been 
all  day  in  the  corrals  and  some  of  the  witchery 
of  the  October  night  had  gotten  into  them  as 
well  as  their  riders.  They  galloped  swiftly, 
their  shaggy  manes  shaking  and  their  long 
tails  arched,  and  soon  left  the  level  lands  of 
their  host's  ranch  far  behind. 

"  I  never  had  such  a  wonderful  ride  in  my 
life!"  Frank  Kent  exclaimed.  "How  utterly 
still  the  night  is!" 

Jack's  hands  hardly  touched  her  reins  and 
she  laughed  joyously.  "  Oh,  that  is  because 
we  are  out  on  the  prairie  and  going  too  swiftly 
for  you  to  hear.  Over  there  where  we  see  a 
line  of  shadow,  I  believe  we  will  find  some 
water  and  a  grove  of  trees.  Then  you  will 
hear  the  noises  of  the  night,  which  are  part 
of  our  Western  life." 

Jack  and  Frank  slowed  down.  Jean  and 
Harry  were  a  short  distance  behind  them. 
They  had  ridden  to  the  edge  of  a  ravine,  and 
across  the  gorge  was  a  solitary  butte  or  low 
mountain.  On  this  side  the  moonlight  fell 
on  a  stretch  of  evergreen  forest,  whose  tall 
trees  rose  black  between  the  splashes  of  light. 

"  Listen,"  Jack  whispered  softly. 

First  came  the  mournful  call  of  the  wildcats 


110     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

from  the  depth  of  the  ravine,  then,  near  the 
entrance  to  the  woods,  the  whimper  and 
squeak  of  the  owls. 

Frank  caught  a  sound  which  the  last  few 
weeks  in  Wyoming  had  taught  him  to  under- 
stand, the  long  melancholy  wail  of  the  coyotes, 
the  wolf  dogs  of  the  prairies.  But  to-night 
the  howl  was  deeper  and  more  prolonged. 

"What  was  that?"  Frank  asked  quickly. 

"Wolves,  I  suppose,"  Jack  answered  with 
perfect  calmness.  "There  may  be  a  few  of 
them  prowling  about.  They  often  come 
out  at  night  at  some  distance  from  the 
ranches." 

Jean  and  Harry  cantered  up.  "  Hasn't  the 
ride  been  just  too  beautiful?"  Jean  sighed. 
"  I  can't  bear  to  think  we  must  turn  back  to 
go  home." 

"  Home?  Why  it's  not  late, "  Harry  argued, 
but  Jean  shook  her  head. 

"  We  have  got  to  try  the  forest  trail  for  just 
a  little  bit  of  the  way,  Jean,"  Jack  pleaded 
recklessly.  "  We  won't  go  far  in.  It  will  be 
like  fairyland  in  there  to-night.  See  how 
plain  the  trail  is,  there  must  be  water  some- 
where and  the  trail  was  made  by  the  deer  and 
antelope  on  the  way  to  the  pool  to  drink. 


JACQUELINE'S  MISFORTUNE  111 

To-night  I  shan't  believe  that  anybody  knows 
of  these  woods  but  us." 

Jack  did  not  wait  for  an  answer.  She  would 
not  listen  to  Jean's  remonstrance,  for  all  the 
willfulness  in  her  was  aroused  and  she  thought 
only  of  her  own  desire. 

She  turned  Hotspur's  head  into  the  woods. 
There  was  no  chance  to  ride  beside  her,  as  the 
way  was  too  narrow,  so  the  rest  of  the  party 
followed  in  single  file. 

"You  ought  to  have  let  me  go  on  ahead, 
Jack,"  Harry  declared  in  a  worried  tone. 
"  You  know  nothing  of  this  trail  and  you  may 
come  to  grief!" 

Jacqueline  laughed  teasingly.  "  Don't  be 
preachy,  Harry.  You  know  Hotspur  and  I 
are  used  to  looking  after  ourselves."  Jack 
whistled  like  a  naughty  boy : 

"  On  the  road  to  Mandalay, 
Where  the  flying  fishes  play," — 
and  waved  her  hand  to  the  others  to  follow 
her  at  a  sharper  pace. 

" Jack's  awfully  silly  to-night,"  Jean  re- 
marked to  Frank  Kent.  "  I  hope  Aunt  Sallie 
won't  mind,  but  there  is  nothing  for  us  to  do 
but  to  keep  up  with  her.  We  won't  get  back 
to  the  ranch  until  awfully  late. " 


112     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Frank  hesitated.  "  Look  here,  Miss  Bruce, 
I  know  I  am  a  tenderfoot,  but  do  you  think 
we  ought  to  go  into  these  woods  at  night? 
Don't  think,  please,  that  I  am  afraid  for  my- 
self. But  Miss  Ralston  just  told  me  that  there 
might  be  wolves  about.  I  am  not  armed, 
though  I  believe  that  Harry  has  his  pistol. 
I  should  hate  to  have  you  get  in  trouble. " 

Jean  understood  Frank  Kent  better  than 
Jacqueline  did.  To  tell  the  truth,  he  seemed 
a  bit  slow  to  Jack,  she  liked  people  with  more 
get  up  and  go,  more  fire  and  energy  in  them. 
But  Jean  guessed  that  Frank  had  plenty  of 
strength  and  courage  beneath  his  quiet  man- 
ner, and  Jean  was  right. 

"  Wolves  don't  attack  parties,  not  once  in  a 
thousand  times/ '  Jean  explained  simply. 
"  And  we  are  making  entirely  too  much  noise 
to  be  in  any  danger.  It  is  the  solitary  indi- 
vidual the  wolves  like  to  get  after.  They  are 
such  mean  cowardly  wretches." 

Frank  Kent  smiled  grimly.  The  ranch  girls 
were  a  puzzle  to  him,  they  talked  about 
wolves  and  bears  and  wild  cattle  as  calmly 
as  most  girls  spoke  of  dogs  and  cats  and 
canary  birds,  and  Frank  could  see  that  they 
were  not  putting  on  airs.    They  would  not 


JACQUELINE'S  MISFORTUNE  113 

have  gone  deliberately  into  danger  any  more 
than  a  sensible  fellow  would  have  done;  but 
Jean  and  Jack  had  grown  up  in  a  country 
where  men  had  lived  by  the  killing  of  wild 
game.  Their  house  was  filled  with  the  skins 
of  wild  animals,  shot  by  their  father  and  the 
cowboys  from  their  place.  While  they  were 
still  little  children  they  had  been  taught  the  use 
of  a  gun.  Jack  often  had  been  on  hunting 
trips  with  her  father  in  the  northern  parts  of 
the  State  and  was  perfectly  able  to  bring  down 
a  lynx  or  a  cougar  with  a  well-trained  shot 
between  its  eyes.  She  had  never  been  able 
to  shoot  a  deer,  for  in  spite  of  being  brought  up 
like  a  boy,  her  heart  failed  her  at  the  thought 
of  destroying  anything  that  did  not  live  by 
preying  on  other  animals. 

Jack  gave  a  cry  of  pleasure.  "See!"  she 
called  back.  "  I  haven't  brought  you  to  the 
pot  of  gold  at  the  end  of  the  rainbow,  but  I 
have  led  you  to  a  pool  of  silver."  She  had 
brought  Hotspur  to  a  standstill  in  front  of  a 
little  silver  lake,  where  the  ravine  extended 
in  a  circle  into  the  woods. 

For  a  moment  the  four  riders  were  breath 
less  with  admiration,  then  a  big  brown  form 
lumbered   out   of   a   clump    of   low  bushes. 


114     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Hotspur  reared  and  the  indistinct  mass  rolled 
by  Jacqueline  and  made  for  a  thicket. 

"It's  a 'bear!"  Jack  shouted  triumphantly. 
"  Who  would  have  thought  we  could  have  had 
such  luck?  Let's  go  after  old  Bruin  and  see 
what  becomes  of  him;  he  won't  eat  us  up." 

Jack  was  only  joking.  She  had  no  real  idea 
of  following  the  bear;  she  wasn't  even  sure 
what  beast  had  trundled  by  them,  but  was 
only  in  a  wild  humor  and  wondered  how  far 
the  others  would  follow  her.  She  gave  Hot- 
spur a  little  cut  with  her  whip. 

"Come  back,  Miss  Ralston,"  Frank  called 
sharply.  He  had  ridden  near  enough  to  her 
to  reach  out  for  her  bridle. 

Jack  grew  more  reckless.  She  sprang  aside 
but  did  not  notice  that  the  ground  opened  in 
front  of  her  in  a  narrow,  broken  crevice,  until 
Hotspur's  fore  feet  went  down  the  incline 
and  Jack  pitched  headlong  over  him,  falling 
with  a  crash  in  the  brushwood  beyond. 

In  the  medley  of  cries  and  confusion  that 
followed,  Jacqueline  did  not  know  whether 
she  had  been  unconscious  a  second  or  an  age 
when  she  was  aroused  by  a  peculiar  noise 
which  she  was  familiar  with.  It  was  a  horse's 
terrible   cry  of  pain.     She  tried  to  sit  up. 


JACQUELINE'S  MISFORTUNE  115 

Jean  and  Frank  Kent  had  dismounted  hur- 
riedly and  come  over  to  her,  while  Harry 
Pryor  was  trying  to  get  Hotspur  out  of  the 

gully. 

"  I  am  afraid  you  will  have  to  help  me, 
Frank,  if  Miss  Ralston  isn't  hurt;  I  am  afraid 
Hotspur  has  broken  his  leg. " 

Jacqueline  gave  a  little  cry  and  Jean  cov- 
ered her  cousin's  eyes  with  her  hands.  There 
was  a  pain  in  Jack's  shoulder  that  was 
wrenching  and  tearing  at  her,  but  it  was 
nothing  to  the  feeling  that  Harry's  words 
created. 

"It  can't  be  true,"  she  sobbed.  "I  couldn't 
have  hurt  my  pony  like  that." 

But  it  was  true,  for  Harry  and  Frank  had 
Hotspur  on  the  level  ground  and  the  little 
pony  lay  moaning  and  neighing  pitifully. 
There  was  only  moonlight  to  show  what 
had  happened,  but  Jack  flung  herself  down 
beside  him  and  her  tears  fell  in  his  shaggy 
mane.  "What  can  we  do?"  she  begged. 
"  Doesn't  any  one  know  how  to  set  a  pony's 
leg?" 

Harry  shook  his  head.  "You  know  it's 
hopeless,  Jack.  There  is  but  one  thing  to 
do  for  Hotspur.     I  can  ride  back  to  the  ranch 


116     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

for  help,  but  it  would  only  prolong  his 
pain." 

"  You  mean  you  must  shoot  him,  don't  you, 
Harry?"  Jack  asked. 

Jean  and  Frank  both  turned  away  their 
heads.  Even  in  the  moonlight,  they  could 
see  that  Jack's  face  was  ghastly  white  and  her 
lips  almost. blue.  Only  Jean  knew  how  much 
Jacqueline  cared  for  her  pony;  he  had  been 
her  father's  gift  and  for  the  past  three  years 
Jack  had  hardly  ever  ridden  any  other  horse, 
unless  Hotspur  were  too  weary  to  carry  her. 
The  thought  that  her  own  heedlessness  and 
obstinacy  had  brought  the  disaster  only  made 
it  the  harder  to  bear. 

Harry  nodded.  "  It's  the  only  way,  Jack, 
you  know." 

"All  right,"  Jack  answered  briefly.  "Be 
quick." 

Jean's  tears  were  blinding  her  but  Jack 
looked  straight  ahead. 

"Take  the  girls  toward  home  with  you, 
Frank,"  Harry  suggested.  "I'll  come  after' 
wards." 

"  I  would  rather  wait  until  it  is  over, "  Jack 
begged.  "  It  is  my  fault  that  this  has  hap- 
pened and  I  won't  go  away  like  a  coward, 


JACQUELINE'S  MISFORTUNE  117 

Hotspur  would  like  to  hear  my  voice  until  the 
end. "  Jack  felt  her  eyes  burn  and  her  throat 
swell  as  now  and  then  she  patted  the  quivering 
broncho. 

Jean  led  her  cousin  a  short  distance  off,  but 
Jack's  eyes  never  left  her  pony.  She  saw 
Harry  get  out  his  pistol,  load  it  and  point 
straight  at  Hotspur.  A  single  shot  rang  out, 
a  long  tremor  ran  through  the  horse's  body, 
a  single  sound  like  a  sigh  shook  it  and  Jack's 
best  beloved  friend  and  servant  was  gone 
forever. 

"Take  me  back  to  the  ranch,  please,"  she 
whispered  hoarsely,  all  her  courage  gone. 
Harry  lifted  her  on  his  broncho  and  for  a  time 
walked  beside  her.  Then  Frank  changed 
places  and  Harry  rode.  For  a  part  of  the 
time,  Jack  cried  silently.  She  had  not  men- 
tioned the  pain  in  her  arm,  although  it  grew 
stifTer  each  moment,  but  now  and  then  she 
winced. 

"You  are  hurt,  aren't  you,  Miss  Ralston?" 
Frank  questioned.  "  I  was  afraid  you  were 
all  along."  But  Jack  shook  her  head;  she 
could  think  of  nothing  but  Hotspur. 

Jean,  however,  was  thinking  of  something 
else.     She  remembered  that  it  was  after  mid- 


118     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

night  and  they  were  not  yet  back  at  the 
Simpson  ranch.  What  would  Aunt  Sallie  and 
Mr.  Simpson  say?  And  what  would  Laura 
and  Mrs.  Post  think  of  them?  Jean  shivered, 
for  now  that  the  excitement  of  their  trip  with 
its  sad  ending  was  over,  she  realized  that  she 
and  Jack  ought  never  to  have  gone  off  riding 
alone.  Poor  Jean's  cheeks  were  hot  with 
blushes,  in  spite  of  her  shivers.  She  and  Jack 
had  not  meant  to  do  anything  wrong,  still 
they  ought  to  have  known  better.  Was  it 
because  they  had  no  mother  that  neither  of 
them  had  thought? 

Just  before  they  reached  the  ranch,  Jack 
turned  a  white  face  toward  the  other  truants. 
"  Remember,  please,  that  whatever  blame  we 
receive  for  to-night's  ride,  the  fault  is  all 
mine ;  I  proposed  the  ride,  I  would  go  farther 
when  Jean  asked  me  to  turn  back.  Don't 
anybody  say  anything  different,  for  you 
know  it  is  true." 

Frank  Kent  listened  silently.  He  made  no 
reply,  but  it  was  hardly  his  idea  that  a  man 
should  allow  a  girl  to  shoulder  all  the  blame 
for  any  mistake. 

Mrs.  Simpson  and  her  husband  rushed  down 
from   the  veranda,  and   were  followed  by  a 


JACQUELINE'S  MISFORTUNE  119 

few  of  Jean's,  Jack's  and  Harry's  most  inti- 
mate friends.  Dan  Norton  was  waiting  for 
Frank,  with  an  unpleasant  grin  on  his  face. 
Laura  and  most  of  the  company  had  gone  to 
bed,  but  Laura's  mother  surveyed  the  two 
ranch  girls  with  an  expression  they  had  never 
seen  in  their  free  happy  girlhood. 

"  I  shall  never  forgive  you  children  as  long 
as  I  live,"  Aunt  Sallie  exclaimed  angrily. 
"  Where  in  the  world  have  you  been?  I  knew 
you  had  been  left  to  your  own  devices,  Jean 
and  Jack,  but  I  did  think  you  had  more  judg- 
ment than  to  ride  across  the  country  at  this 
time  of  the  night." 

"It  was  all  my  fault,"  Jack  repeated 
humbly.  "We  meant  to  go  for  just  a  short 
ride  and  I  didn't  think  you  would  care,  but 
we  went  farther  and  farther  and  Hotspur 
broke  his  leg,  so  we  had  to  come  back  with 
just  the  three  horses.  Jean  did  want  to  turn 
back  sooner,  Aunt  Sallie,"  Jack  whispered. 
They  wrere  now  inside  the  ranch  house,  under 
the  lights  of  the  lamps.  "  Please  don't  scold 
her.  I  know  I  did  very  wrong  and  I'm  sorry; 
won't  you  please  let  me  explain  better  in  the 
morning?" 

And   then   Jack   saw   everything   slipping 


120     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

away  from  her  and  the  place  grew  horribly 
dark.  Big  Mr.  Simpson  caught  her  in  his 
arms. 

"There,  Sallie,  don't  scold  any  more  to- 
night/' he  ordered.  "  The  child  is  worn  out. 
She  did  wrong,  of  course,  but  I  expect  she  has 
been  punished  enough  by  losing  her  pony. 
It's  the  boys  who  are  most  to  blame,  I'll 
warrant  you.  Of  course  they  led  the  girls  on 
this  wild  goose  chase." 

Harry  and  Frank  Kent  eagerly  bowed  their 
heads.  "  I  didn't  think  you  would  believe 
any  such  nonsense  as  Miss  Ralston  has  been 
telling  you,"  Frank  avowed.  "Of  course 
Mr.  Pryor  and  I  are  responsible  for  the  ride 
and  everything  that  occurred, "  he  ended,  with 
more  gallantry  than  truth. 

Aunt  Sallie  might  have  kept  up  her  scolding 
all  night,  for  she  was  a  good-hearted  woman 
with  a  very  high  temper,  adored  by  her  suc- 
cessful husband  and  accustomed  to  having 
her  own  way,  but  she  saw  that  Jack  was  in 
pain.  There  was  something  in  the  girl's  white 
face  with  the  dark  circles  under  her  eyes 
and  the  look  of  penitence  and  pain  instead  of 
her  usual  almost  haughty  expression,  that 
touched  her. 


JACQUELINE'S  MISFORTUNE  121 

"Come  to  bed,  child/ '  she  said  suddenly. 
She  caught  Jack's  arm.  For  the  first  time, 
the  girl  gave  a  cry  of  pain  at  her  own  hurt. 
"  I  think  I  have  sprained  my  shoulder  a  little, 
Aunt  Sallie,"  she  explained  quietly.  "  I  will 
be  all  right  in  the  morning." 

It  was  another  hour  before  Mrs.  Simpson 
got  Jack's  shoulder  properly  bandaged  and 
had  her  stored  away  in  bed.  Fortunately,  the 
shoulder  was  only  sprained,  not  broken.  Yet 
Jack  could  not  sleep ;  it  was  not  alone  the  pain 
that  kept  her  awake,  but  the  realization  that 
she  and  Jean  were  no  longer  little  girls  and 
could  not  do  what  they  liked  without  a 
thought.  It  was  she  who  had  led  Jean  into 
mischief,  yet  try  as  she  might,  she  could  not 
bear  the  whole  burden  of  the  wrongdoing, 
and  she  wished  to-night,  that  the  ranch  girls 
had  some  one  to  look  after  them,  some  older 
woman. 


CHAPTER  X. 

BACK   TO    RAINBOW    LODGE. 

"A  TINT  SALLIE,  if  you  don't  mind,"  said 
Jacqueline  next  day,  "  I  think  we  had 
better  go  back  to  Rainbow  Lodge." 

Jack's  arm  and  shoulder  were  swathed  in 
white  cotton  and  she  had  none  of  her  usual 
color,  but  she  was  out  on  the  veranda  and 
insisted  that  she  was  not  suffering  in  the  least. 

"Nonsense,  Jack,"  Mrs  Simpson  returned 
kindly.  "  You  are  not  angry  at  the  scolding 
I  gave  you  last  night,  are  you?  You  know 
you  deserved  it,  but  of  course  you  and  Jean 
were  only  thoughtless.  We  have  forgotten 
all  about  it  to-day." 

Jack  looked  away.  "Everybody  hasn't 
forgotten,  Aunt  Sallie,  but  I  am  not  running 
away  because  of  that.  I  had  a  note  from  Jim 
this  morning  and  I  think  he  needs  me  at  the 
ranch." 

Mrs.  Simpson  flushed.  "I  know  you  are 
referring  to  my  niece  and  sister,  Jack,  but  you 
must  remember  that  Mrs.  Post  and  Laura 
have  lived  always  in  the  East.     Laura  has 

(122) 


BACK  TO  RAINBOW  LODGE  123 

been  very  carefully  brought  up  and  they  are  not 
accustomed  to  our  Western  ways  of  looking  at 
things.  But  I  am  sure  that  if  you  show  them 
you  are  sorry,  they  will  forgive  you  in  course 
of  time." 

Jack's  face  was  no  longer  pale,  she  was 
crimson  with  anger.  If  there  was  one  thing 
in  the  world  which  she  had  no  intention  of 
doing,  it  was  to  show  penitence  for  her  con- 
duct to  Laura  Post  or  her  mother.  It  seemed 
to  Jack  that  to  treat  a  guest  in  the  fashion 
that  Miss  Post  had  treated  her  and  Jean  and 
to  be  malicious  and  vain  and  small-minded, 
was  a  good  deal  worse  than  to  have  committed 
the  thoughtless  act  that  she  and  Jean  had  been 
guilty  of.  But  for  the  sake  of  Mrs.  Simpson, 
Jacqueline  for  the  moment  held  her  peace. 
She  hoped  she  would  be  able  to  hold  it  until 
she  got  away  from  the  Simpson  ranch,  but  was 
by  no  means  sure. 

Olive  and  Frieda  were  out  in  the  yard 
walking  quietly  up  and  down.  Frieda 
was  chattering  like  a  magpie,  but  the 
Indian  girl  was  silent  and  rarely  lifted  her 
eyes.  Frieda  waved  to  Jack  and  the  two 
girls  started  toward  her  and  Mrs.  Simpson, 
but  at  this  moment,   Laura   Post   and  Dan 


124     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

came  out  of  the  front  door  of  the  ranch 
house. 

Jack  saw  Laura  stop  and  say  something 
to  the  Indian  girl.  Olive  turned  quickly 
and  with  her  head  drooping  went  directly 
into  the  house. 

Sturdy  little  Frieda  stood  stock  still  and 
then  raised  a  pair  of  indignant  blue  eyes  to 
Laura.  "  I  don't  believe  you!"  she  exclaimed 
hotly,  "  I  am  going  to  ask  Jack." 

Frieda  rushed  across  the  porch,  her  eyes 
streaming  with  tears  and  flung  herself  into 
Jacqueline's  arms,  Dan  Norton  and  Laura 
following  her  more  slowly. 

Neither  Olive  nor  Frieda  had  been  told 
anything  of  Mrs.  Simpson's  plan  to  keep 
Olive  at  her  ranch  as  a  maid  for  her  niece. 
There  had  not  been  time  to  discuss  it  and  Mrs. 
Simpson  had  been  too  busy  that  morning  to 
talk  to  the  Indian  girl,  but  regarded  the  matter 
as  having  been  entirely  settled  with  the  ranch 
girls. 

"Oh,  please, Jack,"  Frieda  cried,  her  voice 
trembling,  "  Laura  Post  just  told  Olive  to  go 
into  the  house  at  once.  She  said  that  as  long 
as  Olive  was  to  be  her  maid,  she  did  not  wish 
her  to  be  out  in  the  front  with  her  guests. 


BACK  TO  RAINBOW  LODGE  125 

It  wasn't  true,  was  it?  She  is  coming  back 
home  with  us,  isn't  she?" 

Jack  made  no  reply.  She  only  looked  at 
Laura  Post  with  a  pair  of  clear,  wide  open, 
grey  eyes  that  held  more  than  a  touch  of 
scorn  in  them. 

For  once,  Mrs.  Simpson  appeared  slightly 
displeased  with  her  adored  niece.  "  Laura," 
she  remarked  disapprovingly,  "  I  am  sorry 
you  spoke  in  that  way  to  the  Indian  girl. 
Remember  I  asked  her  here  as  your  guest. 
I  have  not  had  time  to  explain  to  her  that  she 
is  to  remain  as  your  maid." 

"  What  on  earth  is  all  this  pow-wow  about?" 
Jean  demanded,  appearing  suddenly  on  the 
scene,  swinging  a  tennis  racquet  and  followed 
by  Harry,  who  was  usually  her  shadow. 
"You  look  as  tragic  as  the  tale  of  Solomon 
Grundy.  'Died  on  Saturday,  buried  on  Sun- 
day, this  was  the  end  of  Solomon  Grundy/  " 
Jean  chanted  in  mournful  tones.  "  Who  are 
you  trying  to  get  rid  of,  at  present?" 

"No  one,  Jean,"  Mrs.  Simpson  replied. 
"  I  was  only  speaking  to  Laura  of  the  Indian 
girl's  remaining  here  as  her  maid.  I  will  go 
now  and  tell  the  girl  about  it  myself." 

Jean  caught  hold  of  Aunt  SalhVs  ample 


126     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

skirts.  "  Not  so  quickly,  please,  Aunt  Sallie," 
she  urged,  while  she  looked  pleadingly  at  Jack. 
"  We  are  not  sure  that  we  can  give  up  Olive 
to  you.  You  must  not  be  angry,  for  you 
know  we  did  find  her  first  and  we  have  the  first 
right  to  her."  r 

"  But  I  have  got  to  have  some  one  to  wait 
on  me,"  Laura  broke  in  pettishly.  "  I  can't 
button  my  own  shoes  and  comb  my  hair,  and 
Auntie  promised  me  this  girl  for  my  maid." 

"  Never  mind,  dear,"  Mrs.  Simpson  returned 
soothingly.  "  It  is  all  settled,  Jean  and  Jack 
can't  possibly  be  so  foolish  as  to  attempt  to 
keep  this  girl  at  Rainbow  Lodge." 

"  Oh,  yes,  we  can,  Aunt  Sallie,"  Jack 
answered,  sweetly  but  firmly.  "  I  have  been 
wanting  to  talk  to  you  alone,  but  I  haven't 
had  a  chance.  I  have  thought  things  all  over 
and  though  we  do  not  wish  Olive  for  a  servant 
at  Rainbow  Lodge,  we  do  want  her  for  another 
ranch  girl!"  You  could  have  heard  a  pin 
drop  as  Jacqueline  went  on.  "You  see  we 
have  plenty  of  room  in  our  home  and  I  am 
sure  that  four  girls  ought  to  be  even  happier 
together  than  just  three.  If  Olive  will  trust 
herself  with  us,  we  shall  try  to  do  the  best 
that  we  can  for  her.     I  hope  some  day,  for 


BACK  TO  RAINBOW  LODGE  127 

her  sake,  we  may  find  out  who  she  really  is, 
but  if  not,  why  perhaps  she  may  be  willing  to 
be  known  as  one  of  us." 

Jack  looked  so  proud  and  at  the  same  time 
so  generous  and  fine  that  Frank  Kent,  who 
was  standing  near  enough  to  overhear  her, 
wanted  to  shout  with  delight,  but  managed 
to  appear  perfectly  indifferent,  though  Laura 
did  think  she  heard  him  say  "  Ripping!"  under 
his  breath. 

Mrs.  Simpson  was  crimson  with  vexation. 
"Very  well,  Jack  Ralston,  do  as  you  like," 
she  replied  coldly.  "  Understand  I  wash  my 
hands  of  the  whole  affair.  You  will  live  to 
regret  this  piece  of  Quixotic  foolishness  and 
when  this  Indian  girl  gets  you  into  trouble, 
don't  come  to  me." 

"We  won't,  Aunt  Sallie,"  Jacqueline  re- 
turned gently.  "  And  I  hope  you  won't 
think  we  are  ungrateful  to  you.  We  saw  lots 
of  real  Indian  girls  at  the  village  yesterday, 
perhaps  Miss  Post  will  have  one  of  them  as 
her  maid.     I'll  ask  Olive  to  recommend  one." 

Jack  walked  quietly  away  from  the  group 
on  the  veranda,  holding  Frieda  by  the  hand 
while  Jean  murmured  more  apologies  to  Aunt 
Sallie,  being  as  careful  as  possible  not  to  look 


128     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

that  lady  in  the  face.  Miss  Bruce  hardly 
wished  Mrs.  Simpson  to  see  how  her  brown 
eyes  were  dancing  with  pleasure  and  pride, 
but  when  Aunt  Sallie  had  gone  away,  Jean 
made  no  effort  to  conceal  her  satisfaction  from 
Laura  Post  and  Dan  Norton. 

Jacqueline  marched  straight  in  to  find 
Olive.  She  was  not  in  her  room.  She  was 
not  in  the  maids'  room,  nor  in  the  big  kitchen. 
Hong  Su,  Mrs.  Simpson's  Chinese  cook,  ex- 
plained that  the  'Lil  Mlissie'  had  gone  out  in 
the  back  yard. 

To  one  side  and  behind  the  Simpson  ranch 
house  was  a  large  kitchen  garden,  at  only  a 
short  distance  from  the  house  itself. 

Jack  and  Frieda  could  not  find  Olive  at 
once.  There  was  nothing  to  hide  her  and  she 
could  not  have  gone  down  to  the  stables 
that  were  some  distance  away,  yet  she  was 
nowhere  in  sight. 

Half  an  acre  of  Indian  corn  was  ripening 
and  yellowing  in  the  sun.  It  rustled  and  its 
long  dried  leaves  crackled  and  swayed,  and 
they  soon  saw  the  Indian  girl  walking  through 
it  with  her  head  bent  and  tears  falling  fast 
Straightway  Jacqueline  thought  of  the  Song 
of  Hiawatha  and  the  Indian  legend  of  the 


BACK  TO  RAINBOW  LODGE  129 

corn.  Poor  little  Olive  was  the  Minnehaha, 
after  her  laughter  had  been  stilled!  Frieda 
ran  straight  to  her  friend  and  threw  her  arms 
around  her.  "Oh,  Olive,  it  isn't  true/'  she 
cried.  "You  are  to  come  home  with  us  to 
Rainbow  Lodge." 

But  Olive  shook  her  head.  She  could  not 
understand. 

Jacqueline  took  the  girl's  slender,  brown 
hand.  " Olive,"  she  asked  gently,  "do  you 
think  you  could  be  happy  if  you  came  to  live 
with  us  at  the  ranch?  I  am  dreadfully  cross 
Eometimes  and  you  may  not  like  me,  but 
Frieda  and  Jean  are  dears.  We  are  only  girls 
like  you  and  perhaps  we  may  make  mistakes, 
but  you  won't  mind,  if  we  all  do  our  best 
together." 

Jacqueline  was  frightened  at  the  expression 
of  the  Indian  girl's  face.  "You  want  me  to 
live  with  you  like  one  of  you?"  she  gasped. 
"  Oh,  it  can't,  it  can't  be  true." 

"  But  it  can  be  true,  Olilie,"  Jack  answered 
lightly,  using  the  girl's  pretty  Indian  name- 
"And  there  is  nothing  so  remarkable  in  our 
wanting  to  have  you.  Suppose  when  mother 
and  father  came  out  here  to  Wyoming  from 
the  East,  something  had  happened  to  them 


130     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

and  they  had  left  me  somewhere  for  a  stranger 
to  find  me.  Then  the  same  thing  might  have 
happened  to  me  that  has  happened  to  you, 
and  I  am  sure  you  would  have  come  along 
and  rescued  me  if  you  could." 

"Then  you  don't  think  I  am  an  Indian 
girl?"     Olive  questioned  eagerly. 

Jack  hesitated.  "  I  don't  know,  Olive,  I'm 
sure,"  she  returned.  "  Of  course  I  was  only 
talking.  Come,  let's  pack  up  our  things,  I 
think  we  will  go  homo  to-morrow." 

"  But  if  Laska  and  Josef  come  back  for  me?" 
Olive  pleaded,  unable  to  believe  in  her  won- 
derful good  fortune. 

Jacqueline's  face  sobered.  She  was  think- 
ing of  what  Jim  Colter  would  say  when  he 
learned  of  their  adoption  of  Olive.  She  knew 
that  Jim  was  troubled  about  something;  had 
the  ranch  girls  any  right  to  offer  a  home  to  any 
one  when  their  own  future  was  so  uncertain? 

But  Jack's  lips  closed  firmly.  "Never  mind, 
Olive,"  she  answered.  "We  won't  worry 
over  things  until  they  happen ,  when  they  dp 
we  will  face  them  the  best  we  can." 

Rainbow  Lodge  had  never  looked  more 
dear  and  homelike  than  it  did  when  the  four 
ranch  girls  arrived  before  its  open  front  door. 


BACK  TO  RAINBOW  LODGE  131 

Jim  had  sent  one  of  the  cowboys  to  drive  them 
home  and  Jack  wondered  why  he  had  not 
come  himself.  But  she  forgot  to  ask  what  had 
kept  him,  when  she  saw  Aunt  Ellen's  smiling 
face  and  smelt  the  odor  of  ginger  cookies 
coming  from  the  kitchen  back  of  her. 

"  Isn't  it  great  to  be  at  home,  children ?" 
Jack  exclaimed  triumphantly.  But  Frieda 
had  flown  to  look  after  her  chickens  and  Jean 
was  shaking  hands  with  old  Zack,  who  was 
building  the  frames  over  her  violet  beds. 

"  This  bandage  is  cutting  my  arm  off,  Olive/ ' 
Jack  went  on,  noticing  Olive's  wistful  face  as 
Jack  said  the  word  "home."  "Won't  you 
come  in  and  fix  it  for  me,  please?  I  am  going 
to  make  you  and  Jean  and  Frieda  wait  on  me 
all  I  can,  now  we  are  away  from  Aunt  Sallie's. 
Of  course  I  had  to  pretend  my  arm  didn't  hurt 
over  there,because  I  knew  that  that  abominable 
Laura  Post  and  Dan  Norton  would  say  'serves 
her  right,'  every  time  I  had  a  twinge  of  pain." 

Jack  was  talking  nonsense  to  keep  Olive 
from  thinking  and  as  the  two  girls  passed 
under  the  arch  of  the  door,  Jack  kissed  her 
lightly.  "  Good  luck  to  Ranch  Girl  Number 
Four.  May  you  live  long  and  prosper  at  Rain- 
bow Lodge,"  she  whispered. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


BREAKING   THE    NEWS. 


TEAN  and  Jack  came  down  the  wide  sunlit 
hall  with  their  two  heads  close  together. 
It  was  three  days  since  their  return  from  the 
house  party  to  their  own  home. 

Outside  a  half-opened  door  they  stopped. 
a  Listen,  Jack,"  Jean  whispered,  swallowing  a 
giggle.  "They  have  been  doing  it  every 
single  day." 

"  If  three  fifths  of  a  number  is  fifteen,  what 
is  the  number?"  Frieda's  voice  read  slowly 
and  solemnly.  She  paused  for  a  long  moment. 
"The  number  is  fifteen,  isn't  it  Olive?  The 
sum  said  so." 

Jean  would  not  have  swallowed  her  giggle 
this  time,  except  that  Jack  pinched  her  on  the 
arm.  "Do  be  quiet,  Jean,"  she  entreated. 
"You  will  hurt  their  feelings." 

"No,  Frieda,"  Olive  explained  patiently. 
"  You  see  one  fifth  of  fifteen  is  five — " 

Jack  knocked  lightly  on  the  door.  "May 
we  interrupt  the  school  a  minute,  please?" 
she  begged.     "  I  have  to  go  away  in  a  little 

(132) 


BREAKING  THE  NEWS  133 

while  with  Jim  and  I  do  want  to  see  what  is 
going  on.  I  think  it  is  perfectly  sweet  of  you, 
Olive,  to  be  trying  to  teach  Frieda.  It  makes 
Jean  and  me  awfully  ashamed." 

Olive  laughed  shyly :  "  Oh,  I  am  not  teach- 
ing/ y  she  answered,  "Frieda  and  I  are  just 
studying  together.  There  are  such  a  lot  of 
things  I  ought  to  know  so  you  won't  be 
ashamed  of  me,  and  I  am  trying  to  learn  the 
few  that  I  can.     Frieda  likes  to  study  too." 

Frieda  was  chewing  the  end  of  her  stubby 
pencil  and  making  queer  figures  on  a  crumpled 
piece  of  paper.  Her  little  round  face  wore 
such  a  virtuous  and  studious  expression  that 
Jack  laughed.  Jean  went  over  and  pulling 
Frieda's  hair  said :  "  Since  when,  Frieda 
Ralston,  have  you  developed  into  a  stu- 
dent? Far  be  it  from  you  ever  to  get 
your  lessons  for  me  without  a  fuss;  some- 
thing must  have  come  over  the  spirit  of  your 
dreams." 

Frieda  shook  her  head  impatiently.  She 
was  a  very  matter-of-fact  person  at  all  times. 
"No  such  thing,  Jean,  dreams  haven't  any- 
thing to  do  with  it,  it  is  only  that  Olive  really 
takes  an  interest  herself  and  is  awfully  patient 
and  does  not  laugh — " 


134     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

But  Jean  had  put  her  fingers  in  her  ears  and 
slipped  out  the  bedroom  door. 

Olive  and  Frieda  were  in  their  own  room  at 
a  small  table  drawn  up  near  the  window,  and 
looking  out,  Jack  saw  Jim  Colter  come  up  the 
drive  to  the  door  on  horseback,  leading  a  horse 
for  her.  Jean  ran  out  in  the  yard  and  stood 
for  a  moment  talking  to  him. 

Jim  had  been  away  from  Rainbow  Ranch 
since  the  day  of  the  girls'  return,  and  Jack 
could  see  that  he  looked  tired  and  serious,  not 
like  his  usual  self. 

Jack  kissed  Frieda.  "Perhaps  Jim  and 
I  won't  be  back  until  late,  little  sister,  don't 
worry.  You  know  we  are  going  to  ride  along 
the  side  of  Rainbow  Creek  to  see  about  some 
of  the  cattle  and  horses.  Maybe  the  poor 
ponies  and  calves  haven't  any  water  to  drink 
in  some  parts  of  the  ranch.  Don't  study  until 
your  pigtails  turn  grey." 

Frieda  laughed,  but  the  Indian  girl  looked 
at  Jacqueline  closely.  There  was  something 
odd  in  Jack's  manner,  as  though  she  were 
trying  to  hide  a  secret  that  she  was  not  sure 
whether  or  not  she  wished  to  tell. 

"Good-bye,  Olive,"  Jack  called  lightly, 
"  don't  talk  about  our  being  ashamed  of  you, 


BREAKING  THE  NEWS  135 

diild.  If  you  knew  all  I  do  not  know,  you 
would  be  quite  the  wisest  person  in  the  world. 
Maybe  Jean  and  I  will  have  news  for  you  to- 
night. You  have  got  to  think  it  is  good  news, 
for  Jean  and  I  hope  it  is.  Anyhow,  you  two 
good,  industrious  children  have  made  me 
make  up  my  feeble  mind.  Auf  wiedersehen^ 
That  being  about  all  the  German  I  know,  I 
will  translate  it  for  you :  'Till  we  meet  again.' "' 

Jack  stamped  out  on  the  porch  to  Jean  and 
Jim. 

"  Morning,  overseer,"  she  said  brightly. 

Jim  lifted  his  Mexican  hat.  "Morning, 
boss,"  he  returned  gravely.  "How  is  the 
wounded  member?" 

Jack  shrugged  her  sprained  shoulder  the 
least  little  bit.  "  It's  not  first  class  yet,  pard," 
she  stammered,  mimicking  one  of  the  cowboys 
on  the  ranch.  "But  I  think  I  can  get  over 
a  good  piece  of  ground  by  catching  hold  on 
the  reins  with  this  here  one  good  arm,  if  it's 
the  same  to  you.  Is  that  the  horse  you  mean 
me  to  use  now,  Jim?"  Jack  asked,  her  voice 
and  manner  changing. 

"Best  I  can  do  at  present,"  Jim  replied 
soberly.  "  Tricks  ain't  up  to  Hotspur  and  you 
may  have  to  watch  him  a  bit." 


136     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

"Jean,"  Jack  whispered,  just  before  she 
mounted  her  horse.  "  We  have  made  up  our 
minds  to  it,  haven't  we?  Do  you  think  we 
will  be  able  to  endure  it?" 

Jean  cast  her  brown  eyes  up  to  heaven. 
"Bear  it?"  she  groaned.  "Well  I  suppose 
if  we  must,  we  must.  Only  tell  Jim,  maybe 
he  will  say  we  must  not,  then  think  of  the 
relief!"  Jean  sighed,  half  in  fun  and  half  in 
earnest,  and  watched  Jim  and  Jack  scamper 
out  of  sight. 

"  Wonder  what  old  Jim  and  Jack  are  up  to?" 
she  murmured.  "  If  they  only  were  going 
to  see  how  nearly  dry  Rainbow  Creek  is,  they 
would  have  taken  one  of  the  cowboys  with 
them.  They  are  sure  to  have  to  pull  a  cow 
or  a  calf  out  of  a  mud  hole,  before  they  are 
through.  Jim  looks  as  sober  as  a  judge.  I 
hope  he  hasn't  heard  anything  about  the — " 
Jean  broke  off  her  musing,  with  a  stamp  of 
her  foot.  "  Of  course  not,  I  am  a  goose  to 
think  of  it,"  she  told  herself  sternly. 

Jim  Colter  and  Jack  galloped  on  in  silence, 
Jim  riding  high  in  his  saddle,  standing  nearly 
erect,  with  his  feet  well  out  in  the  Western 
cowboy  fashion.  He  wore  a  pair  of  fringed 
trousers,   with  a  cartridge  belt  around  his 


BREAKING  THE  NEWS  137 

waist  and  two  big  Colt's  revolvers  were  stuck 
in  the  holsters  on  either  side.  A  forty-foot 
rope  was  coiled  and  hung  at  the  pommel  of 
his  saddle.  Jim's  Irish  blue  eyes  were  black 
with  anger  this  morning  and  his  lips  set  in  a 
firm,  hard  line. 

The  two  riders  had  followed  the  bed  of 
Rainbow  Creek  for  two  miles  through  the 
ranch  before  either  one  of  them  spoke. 

Jim  wheeled  and  looked  Jack  straight  in 
the  eyes.  "  You  have  a  piece  of  news  for  me, 
haven't  you,  Jack?"  he  asked. 

Jack  nodded.  "  My  news  will  keep.  What 
is  it  you  have  to  tell  me?  I  know  it  is  impor- 
tant." 

"  Can  you  bear  it,  girl  ?' '  Jim  asked  abruptly. 
"  It's  pretty  bad." 

Jack  lifted  her  eyes  without  speaking.  A 
moment  later  they  filled  with  tears  and  her 
lips  trembled.  "  It  isn't  true  though,  Jim, 
is  it?"  she  entreated.  "  He  can't  prove  what 
isn't  true." 

Jim  squared  his  shoulders.  "That  is  just 
the  point,  Miss  Jack,  and  what  we  have  got  to 
fight.  Daniel  Norton  says  he  can  prove  that 
he  is  the  rightful  owner  of  Rainbow  Ranch. 
He  has  papers  to  show  it  and  we  haven't  a 


138      RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

sign  of  anything.  What  we  have  got  to 
establish  is  that  his  claim  is  a  lie  and  that 
Rainbow  Ranch  don't  belong  to  nobody  on 
this  earth  but  John  Ralston's  daughters." 

"But  how,  Jim?"  Jack  asked.  "You  know 
we  have  lost  the  title  to  the  estate.  We  have 
never  been  able  to  find  a  sign  of  a  paper  to 
show  that  the  ranch  is  our  property.  I  have 
looked  through  every  one  of  father's  papers  a 
thousand  times.     The  deed  is  gone!" 

"Then  it  will  have  to  return  before  Janu- 
ary first,"  Jim  answered  coolly,  snapping  his 
fingers  in  the  wind.  "That  is  the  date  Mr. 
Norton  means  to  bring  suit.  Remember  the 
game  we  used  to  play  with  a  bit  of  paper,  when 
you  were  a  little  girl,  Jack,  'Fly  away  Peter, 
Come  back  PauT  ?  Paul  used  to  come  back, 
so  don't  you  be  frightened.  Daniel  Norton 
hasn't  gotten  our  ranch  from  us  yet,  and  before 
he  does,  he  will  see  some  pretty  tall  scrapping. 
But  I  am  afraid  we  have  got  to  find  our  deed. 
I  was  one  of  the  witnesses  when  your  father's 
title  to  this  ranch  was  drawn  up.  The  other 
witness  was  a  fellow  from  the  East,  who  just 
happened  to  be  passing  through  the  country. 
He  stayed  with  us  a  few  days  and  then  good- 
ness only  knows  what  became  of  him.     He 


BREAKING  THE  NEWS  139 

may  be  living  in  New  York  or  New  Mexico 
for  all  I  know." 

"But  you  can  advertise  for  him,  can't  you, 
Jim?"  Jack  pleaded,  her  face  looking  white 
and  drawn.  "Maybe  if  he  would  swear  that 
father  bought  our  ranch  and  that  Mr.  Norton 
couldn't  have  any  right  to  it,  it  might  do 
some  good.     What  was  his  name?" 

"Will  Corbin,"  Jim  answered  shortly. 
"But  don't  build  your  hopes  on  that  idea. 
I  have  been  advertising  for  the  fellow  for 
months.     Not  a  word  from  him.  " 

"But  the  court  records,"  Jack  continued. 
"Of  course  I  don't  know  anything  about  law 
or  business,  Jim,  but  I  am  sure  that  I  have 
heard  that  if  a  person  buys  or  sells  a  piece  of 
property,  some  kind  of  record  of  it  is  kept  in  a 
big  book.  Can't  you  get  hold  of  that?" 
Jack  begged  faintly.  "If  Mr.  Norton  brings 
suit  and  makes  us  leave  our  ranch  in  January, 
what  can  we  do?  Where  will  we  go?  It  will 
be  so  hard  for  Frieda  and  Jean."  Jack 
choked  and  could  not  go  on  for  a  moment. 

Jim  was  looking  in  every  direction  except  at 
his  companion  and  cleared  his  throat  once  or 
twice.  Jack  was  gazing  out  over  the  sweep  of 
low  country  bordered  by  the  distant  hills.     To 


140     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

one  side  was  an  open  field,  where  a  herd  of  wild 
horses  was  munching  the  dried  buffalo  grass; 
on  the  wooded  slope  of  the  ravine  on  the  fur- 
ther bank  of  the  creek,  cattle  were  leading 
their  calves  to  drink.  It  was  all  their  own, 
hers  and  Jean's  and  Frieda's;  their  beloved 
Rainbow  Ranch !  Jack  could  recall  no  fairer 
picture  than  the  scene  before  her.  Her  eyes 
had  looked  out  only  on  the  western  lands  since 
she  could  remember.  "Well,  Jim,  don't  you 
think  it  would  be  a  good  scheme  for  us  to  look 
up  this  court  record?"  Jack  inquired  more 
hopefully.  "Mr.  Norton  couldn't  say  it  was 
false." 

"Look  here,  Jacqueline  Ralston,"  Jim  an- 
swered more  gruffly  than  he  had  ever  spoken 
to  her  before.  "Do  you  think  that  you  are 
the  only  member  of  Rainbow  Ranch  who  has 
any  business  head?  What  have  I  been  doing 
these  last  few  days  but  looking  up  that  very 
record  of  the  sale  of  Rainbow  Ranch  to  John 
Ralston,  Esq.?  But  I  have  wasted  my  time. 
It  wasn't  any  use.  The  court  record  is  gone, 
same  as  our  own  deed." 

"But  that  isn't  possible,  Jim,"  Jack  argued 
faintly,  feeling  the  world  begin  to  spin  round 
faster  and  faster,  so  she  could  hardly  sit  on 


BREAKING  THE  NEWS  141 

her  horse.  "  I  thought  nobody  ever  dared 
touch  anything  that  belonged  to  a  court  of 
law." 

"  Jack,"  Jim  demanded  severely,  "  will  you 
kindly  remember  that  we  are  living  in  the 
State  of  Wyoming  and  that  we  haven't  been 
a  State  but  a  powerful  few  years?  When  your 
father  first  came  to  Wyoming,  this  country  was 
pretty  well  filled  up  with  wild  beasts,  wild  In- 
dians and  some  pretty  wild  white  men.  There 
weren't  but  a  few  towns  and  they  weren't 
slow  towns  either.  Things  used  to  go  on  in 
them  that  a  girl  don't  need  to  know  about. 
One  of  the  tricks  the  bad  men  used  to  play  was 
to  change  the  county  seat  over  night,  just 
for  their  own  convenience.  A  band  of  men 
would  ride  up  to  the  courthouse,  gather  up 
the  court  records,  the  law  books  and  anything 
else  that  came  in  handy,  and  carry  them  off  to 
a  new  town.  Next  morning  when  folks  woke 
up,  they  would  find  the  county  seat  moved 
and  maybe  a  new  judge  and  a  new  sheriff. 
In  one  of  these  here  little  midnight  excursions, 
they  must  have  carried  off  the  court  records 
which  showed  your  father  bought  our  old 
ranch  fair  and  true.  The  book  must  have 
been  lost,   for  the  record  has  disappeared, 


142     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

same  as  our  own  title  to  the  place.  You  can 
kind  of  see  that  old  man  Norton  has  got  us  in 
a  tight  place,  can't  you,  Jack?"  Jim  ended 
gloomily. 

"We  don't  have  to  tell  Jean  and  Frieda 
yet,  do  we,  Jim?"  Jack  pleaded  wistfully. 
"  It  won't  do  any  good  to  make  them  misera- 
ble so  long  as  we  can  keep  the  news  from  them." 

Jim  shook  his  head.  "No  sense  in  your 
bearing  the  whole  burden  alone,  Jack.  You 
ain't  much  older  than  Jean,  you  know. 
Besides,  maybe  little  Frieda  will  be  the  very 
one  of  us  to  find  our  lost  title  to  the  old  ranch. 
Ain't  things  often  revealed  unto  babes  that 
are  hid  from  the  rest  of  us?"  Jim  quoted 
reverently,  not  remembering  exactly  the 
great  words  of  the  text,  but  sure  enough  of  its 
meaning. 

"  Wait  here  a  minute  for  me,  please,  Jack, " 
Jim  remarked  suddenly,  "  there  is  one  of  our 
calves  stuck  in  the  mud  in  the  creek  bottom. 
Funny  how  the  farther  we  get  away  from  the 
Lodge  the  slower  our  creek  runs!  It  didn't 
used  to  be  that  way.  Ought  to  be  five  or  six 
feet  of  water  along  here  and  there's  only  about 
one,  and  that  silly  calf  has  sunk  to  her  knees 
in  mud  and  slime," 


BREAKING  THE  NEWS  143 

Jim  rode  away  from  Jack,  a  few  feet  into  the 
creek,  feeling  his  way  cautiously  for  fear  of 
quicksands.  The  calf  bleated  and  struggled, 
but  with  a  skillful  swing  of  his  lasso,  Jim 
caught  the  mired  animal  securely  and  dragged 
her  back  safe  to  dry  land.  When  he  joined 
Jack  again,  the  worried  expression  had  dis- 
appeared entirely  from  his  face. 

"Cheer  up,  pard,"  he  resumed  affection- 
ately. "You  have  got  the  best  head  on 
your  shoulders  of  any  girl  on  this  side  the 
great  divide.  We  will  straighten  things  out 
some  way  and  have  one  of  the  j  oiliest  Christ- 
mases  that  ever  took  place  at  Rainbow  Lodge, 
as  a  celebration.  But  didn't  you  and  Jean 
have  something  on  your  minds  that  you 
meant  to  ask  me  about?  Out  with  it!  We 
don't  want  to  do  any  talking  when  we  get 
along  toward  the  end  of  our  creek.  Sure  as 
fate,  some  way  the  water  is  being  drained 
from  our  creek  and  I  have  got  to  find  out  how 
it's  done." 

"  Oh,  my  news  doesn't  amount  to  anything 
now,  Jim,"  Jacqueline  announced  "After 
what  you  have  just  told  me,  there  wouldn't 
be  any  point  in  trying  to  carry  out  our  plan- 
Indeed  it  is  entirely  out  of  the  question. " 


144     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

"Tell  me  the  plan  just  the  same,  Jack/' 
Jim  insisted,  anxious  to  get  Jack's  mind  off 
the  subject  of  their  troubles. 

"You  will  be  awfully  surprised,  Jim,"  Jack 
declared,  her  face  crimsoning,  "  but  Jean  and 
I  had  just  about  decided  that  we  ought  to 
have  a  chaperon  to  come  to  live  with  us  at 
Rainbow  Lodge." 

Jim  gave  a  long  drawn  out  whistle.  He 
gazed  meditatively  up  at  the  blue  sky.  "  Good 
thing  it  ain't  night,"  he  replied  slowly, 
"  because  if  it  had  been,  the  stars  would  have 
fallen  at  that  remark  of  yours.  You  and 
Jean  think  you  ought  to  have  a  chaperon! 
Well,  my  word!" 

"Don't  be  silly,  Jim,"  Jack  remonstrated. 
"  You  know  we  have  talked  over  our  having 
a  chaperon  at  the  Lodge  dozens  of  times  since 
father  died.  And  even  when  I  haven't 
talked,  I  have  been  thinking.  We  did  hate 
the  idea  of  one  and  I  am  afraid  I  do  still. 
But  since  our  visit  to  Aunt  Sallie,"  Jack's 
beautiful  straightforward  face  colored  hotly, 
"Jean  and  I  believe  we  ought  to  have  an 
older  woman  to  live  with  us.  You  see  it  is 
this  way,  Jim;  we  don't  want  to  do  things  that 
even  look  wrong,  just  because  we  don't  know 


BREAKING  THE  NEWS  145 

any  better;  and  then  we  don't  want  to  grow  up 
into  perfect  dunces.  Jean  and  I  don't  seem 
to  study  at  all  with  no  one  to  teach  us,  and 
Olive  and  Frieda  are  so  anxious  to  learn 
that  they  make  us  ashamed."  Jack  sighed. 
"  What's  the  use  of  telling  you  all  this?  Of 
course  we  can't  think  of  sending  for  a  chap- 
eron now  when  we  do  not  know  how  long  we 
will  have  a  home  to  live  in  ourselves. " 

Jack  had  been  crying  a  little,  but  now  she 
threw  her  head  back  with  a  familiar  gesture 
and  winked  bravely.  "  Let's  don't  talk  about 
our  troubles  any  more,  Jim.  Mr.  Norton 
hasn't  taken  possession  of  Rainbow  Ranch 
yet  by  any  means.  Who  knows  what  may 
happen  in  two  months?" 

"  Shall  I  go  to  Laramie  to-morrow  and 
order  out  a  chaperon,  Miss  Ralston?"  Jim 
queried  calmly.  "  Suppose  I  put  an  ad  in  the 
paper.  'Wanted:  a  long-suffering  lady,  who 
knows  everything,  to  chaperon  and  instruct 
four  young  ladies  who  know  nothing,  but 
have  difficult  and  unmanageable  tempers, 
particularly  the  eldest.'  Sounds  an  attractive 
advertisement.    Ought  to  get  a  lot  of  answers." 

Jack  gazed  inquiringly  at   their  devoted 
friend  and  counsellor. 
10 


146     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

"You  mean,  Jim,  that  you  think  we  had 
better  go  on  and  have  a  chaperon,  just  as  we 
planned,  as  though  there  was  no  danger  of 
our  losing  the  ranch? " 

Jim  nodded  silently.  He  placed  a  cautious 
finger  on  his  lips.  He  was  leaning  forward  in 
his  saddle,  intent  on  something  ahead. 

Jack  did  not  notice.  "We  don't  want  to 
have  any  one  to  live  with  us  whom  we  know 
nothing  about/ '  she  went  on,  "so  I  expect 
we  had  better  send  for  mother's  cousin,  Ruth 
Drew.  She  is  a  fussy  New  England  old  maid, 
and  terribly  prim,  but  she  wrote  she  would 
come  out  to  us,  and  if  she  can  stand  for  us, 
why, — what  was  that,  Jim?"  Jack  finished 
breathlessly. 

"Shsh!"  Jim  whispered  softly.  "Keep 
perfectly  still  until  we  know." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

ON   THE   OTHER   SIDE    OF   THE   DIVIDE. 

TIM  COLTER  and  Jack  had  ridden  to  the 
lower  end  of  Rainbow  Creek,  where  it 
widened  into  a  kind  of  natural  reservoir. 
Some  yards  beyond  it,  a  line  of  upright  rails 
divided  the  Ralston  ranch  from  that  of  the 
Nortons.  The  earth  dipped  slightly  on  the 
farther  side  and  a  thicket  of  low  sage  brush 
covered  the  rise  in  the  land  beyond. 

Jim  and  Jack  saw  nothing  moving  in  the 
sage  brush  or  beyond  it  and  there  was  no  one 
in  sight.  Their  impression  must  have  been  a 
mistake,  for  the  only  living  thing  in  view  was 
a  flock  of  wild  geese  which  flew  over  their 
heads  uttering  their  shrill  clamor.  Jim  sat 
erect,  silent  and  watchful  as  an  Indian,  on  the 
back  of  his  equally  motionless  pony,  his  hand 
shading  his  eyes. 

Jack  waited  on  her  horse  gazing  at  the  quiet 
waters  of  Rainbow  Creek.  Suddenly  there 
came  a  low  rumble  inside  the  earth,  like  a  note 
of  warning,  and  then  the  land  began  to  rise  in 
sandy  billows  as  though  wave  on  wave  were 

(147) 


148     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

seeking  some  distant  shore.  The  two  horses 
with  their  silent  riders  shook  as  with  the  ague; 
the  face  of  Rainbow  Lake  shivered,  then  her 
waters  lashed  the  shores  as  though  they  had 
been  parted  asunder,  and  a  moment  later 
receded  and  began  to  disappear.  It  was  as  if 
old  Father  Neptune  had  deserted  his  home  at 
the  bottom  of  the  sea  to  play  his  mighty 
games  in  the  shallow  waters  of  Rainbow 
Creek.  It  seemed  as  though  he  had  blown  a 
great  blast  through  his  sacred  horn  and  caused 
the  water  to  spurt  upward,  then  had  drawTn  it 
slowly  back  into  his  horn  again. 

The  noise  and  the  movement  died  away. 

"Was  it  an  earthquake,  Jim?"  Jacqueline 
managed  to  murmur,  as  soon  as  she  could  get 
her  breath.  She  had  slipped  quietly  off  her 
pony  and  was  patting  it  softly,  for  the  broncho 
was  terribly  frightened  at  the  strangeness  of 
his  experience. 

Jim  nodded  solemnly.  "A  human  earth- 
quake, I  guess.  Don't  be  alarmed,  it  won't 
occur  again,  but  get  to  cover  quickly." 

Jacqueline  Ralston  knew  as  well  as  though 
she  had  been  a  pioneer  woman  trained  to  war- 
fare with  the  Indians  in  the  early  days  in  the 
West,  what  Jim's  mysterious  words,  "  get  to 


ON  THE  OTHER  SIDE  149 

cover, "  meant.  She  and  Jim  used  to  play, 
long  years  before,  that  they  were  travelers 
across  the  plains,  being  hunted  down  by  bands 
of  roving  Indians.  This  was  when  Jack  was 
a  small,  bronze-haired  tomboy,  riding  bare- 
back over  the  prairies,  swimming  with  her 
father  in  the  clear,  cold  mountain  streams, 
afraid  of  nothing  and  of  no  one,  the  pride  of 
every  cowboy  on  Rainbow  Ranch.  Later 
she  had  learned  the  value  of  hiding  in  ambush 
in  stalking  wild  game.  But,  even  if  Jack  had 
not  understood  the  importance  of  Jim's  ad- 
vice, she  had  been  trained  to  obey  instantly 
the  word  of  a  superior  officer  in  the  moment 
of  action. 

It  was  not  an  easy  matter  to  seek  shelter 
with  a  broncho  fourteen  and  a  half  hands 
high  in  the  particular  part  of  the  ranch  where 
Jack  and  Jim  happened  to  be  at  this  moment. 
There  were  no  trees,  no  underbush  of  any  kind. 
The  trees  that  are  usually  found  near  the  beds 
of  streams  in  the  western  country,  were  on 
the  far  side  of  Rainbow  Creek.  There  was 
no  time  to  wade  across.  Jack  dropped  her 
reins,  hoping  her  pony  would  wander  quietly 
away.  She  bent  forward  and  ran  as  swiftly 
and  silently  as  possible  toward  the  straggling 


150     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

rail  fence.  Then  she  lay  down  in  the  short 
brown  grass,  as  motionless  as  a  frightened 
partridge  who  tries  to  make  the  hunter  be- 
lieve he  is  a  part  of  the  still  landscape.  Jim 
Colter  crawled  after  Jack,  bringing  with  him 
his  long  rope. 

A  few  minutes  later  a  man's  figure  rose  up 
from  the  screen  of  sage  bushes  on  the  Norton 
ranch  and  the  sun  glinted  on  a  bright  red 
head.  The  boy  swung  his  hat  in  the  air 
once,  twice,  three  times.  Then  he  repeated 
the  signal. 

Jim  crept  through  the  fence  like  an  eel. 
Without  making  the  least  sound  that  could 
be  heard  by  the  fellow,  whose  back  was  turned 
to  him,  Jim  got  within  thirty  feet  of  his  enemy. 

Jack  wondered  what  on  the  face  of  the  earth 
Jim  intended  to  do.  Then  her  eyes  widened 
with  surprise  and  with  laughter.  There  was  a 
swish,  a  streak  through  the  air,  as  Jim's  lariat 
uncoiled.  Hearing  the  noise  the  boy  turned 
and  the  rope  caught  him  around  the  waist, 
pinning  his  arms  securely  to  his  side.  He  was 
lassoed  as  safely  as  any  wild  pony. 

Jim  then  calmly  started  to  walk  back  to- 
ward the  rail  fence  that  divided  the  two 
ranches.     He  seemed  blissfully  indifferent  to 


ON  THE  OTHER  SIDE  151 

the  fact  that  he  dragged  an  angry  and  sputter- 
ing young  man  at  the  end  of  his  rope.  Dan 
Norton,  Jr.,  was  a  heavy,  stocky  fellow,  with 
a  good  deal  of  brute  strength,  but  Jim  Colter 
was  long  and  lean,  with  muscles  of  steel. 
Besides,  as  Dan  threw  his  resisting  strength 
against  that  of  his  opponent,  the  rope  tight- 
ened about  him  and  cut  more  deeply  into  his 
flesh.  He  kicked  viciously  like  an  unruly 
colt,  but  Jim  did  not  condescend  to  look  be- 
hind him;  his  victim  was  kicking  nothing  but 
air,  as  Jim  was  ten  yards  in  front. 

"What  are  you  doing?  Where  are  you 
going  ?"  Dan  shouted,  almost  choking  with  rage. 

Jack  rose  up  from  behind  the  shield  of  the 
fence.  The  sight  of  Jim  and  his  prize  was 
too  beautiful,  and  Jack  felt  that  she  was  being 
repaid  for  many  of  the  cruel  tricks  that  Dan 
and  his  father  had  played  on  her  since  she 
was  a  little  girl.  She  recalled  the  time  that 
Dan  had  nearly  put  out  her  eyes,  when  she 
was  only  four  years  old.  She  had  been  play- 
ing with  him  and  when  she  lifted  her  face  to 
his  in  answer  to  some  question,  he  had  thrown 
a  great  box  of  sand  straight  into  her  wide- 
open  eyes.  It  was  curious  how  well  Jack 
remembered  the  deed  at  this  moment. 


152     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

"  Let  me  go,  I'll  have  you  in  jail  for  this. 
What  do  you  mean  by  trespassing  on  my 
land?"  Dan  yelled. 

Jim  laughed  and  drew  Dan  closer  to  him. 
"  Don't  get  so  upset,  sonnie,  I  am  not  going 
to  trespass  on  your  land,"  he  urged  quietly. 
"  This  rope  is  just  a  little  scheme  of  mine  to 
make  you  cross  the  great  divide  between  your 
ranch  and  ours,  while  we  talk  a  few  things 
over."  Jim  hauled  Dan  through  an  opening 
in  the  fence. 

Jack  dared  not  look  straight  at  them.  She 
did  feel  it  would  be  too  hateful  of  her  to  laugh 
out  loud,  yet  how  could  she  help  it?  Dan  was 
so  desperately  angry  that  it  made  him  fume 
and  fuss  and  jump  about  like  an  excited 
rooster,  and  his  red  head  did  suggest  a  rooster's 
comb. 

"Look  out,  Jim,"  Jack  sang  out.  "Here 
come  the  men  Dan  was  signaling." 

Across  one  of  the  Norton  fields,  with  their 
gaze  centered  on  the  clump  of  sage  where  they 
expected  to  find  their  young  master,  marched 
three  cowboys  from  the  Norton  ranch. 

"  Come  here,"  Dan  shouted,  trying  in  vain 
to  loosen  one  of  his  hands  to  wave  to  his  men. 

Jim  slipped  one  of   his  Colts   out   of    its 


ON  THE  OTHER  SIDE  153 

holster  and  passed  it  over  to  Jack.  "Just 
keep  this  for  me,  will  you,  Miss  Ralston?" 
he  asked  politely.  There  won't  be  any  use 
for  it,  but  there  is  no  harm  in  having  it 
handy." 

Jim  spoke  to  the  puzzled  ranchmen  and 
greeted  them  calmly.  "  Come  as  far  as  you 
like  on  your  own  side  of  the  fence,"  he  said, 
"but  kindly  stop  right  there.  I  have  a  few 
questions  I  would  like  to  ask  Mr.  Daniel 
Norton,  Jr.,  and  I  wouldn't  object  to  some 
witnesses.  Needn't  be  afraid,  the  earth- 
quake is  all  over.  Mr.  Norton  and  I  are  going 
to  talk  quite  neighborly  and  friendly  like,  as 
soon  as  he  cools  off  a  bit." 

Jim  Colter  spoke  so  quietly  that  the  men 
who  watched  him  knew  he  meant  business. 
You  see  Jim's  reputation  was  that  he  was  one 
of  the  most  dangerous  men  in  the  country 
when  he  was  aroused,  and  there  was  no  doubt 
of  his  present  feeling. 

The  three  men  nodded  respectfully.  They 
did  not  wish  to  have  a  fight,  for  if  they  attacked 
Jim  and  tried  to  get  Dan  Norton  away  from 
him,  he  would  undoubtedly  use  his  pistol, 
and  then  there  was  Jacqueline. 

The  cowboys  jerked  their  heads  at  Jack  in 


154     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

a  greeting  intended  to  be  exceedingly  polite. 
Jack  understood  and  returned  the  men's  bows 
with  her  best  smile.  She  did  not  desire  to  let 
Jim  make  the  affair  with  Dan  too  serious  if 
she  could  help  it,  but  she  had  rarely  seen  their 
overseer  so  deeply  angry  in  her  life. 

An  Eastern  girl  and  most  Western  ones 
would  have  been  horrified  at  Jacqueline  Ral- 
ston's  present  position.  She  was  standing,  a 
quiet  and  attentive  listener,  in  a  group  of  five 
uncultured  men.  One  of  the  cowboys  was 
Josef,  the  Indian  Laska's  son,  the  other  a 
Mexican,  and  but  one  of  the  three  an  American. 
They  were  all  angry  and  lawless  and  only  one 
of  the  five  her  friend,  yet  Jacqueline  did  not 
think  of  her  position  as  unusual.  She  was 
far  too  much  interested  in  what  was  about  to 
take  place  to  think  of  herself  at  all  and  knew 
that  not  one  of  the  cowboys  would  touch  her 
and  she  was  not  in  the  least  in  fear  of  Dan. 
Jacqueline  Ralston  was  not  like  a  girl  with  a 
father  and  mother  to  care  for  her.  She  had 
been  brought  up  with  the  ideas  of  a  pioneer 
woman  and  was  trying  to  run  a  ranch  and 
to  make  a  living  for  herself,  her  cousin  and 
sister,  and  if  there  was  any  danger  that  threat- 
ened their  property  or  them,  she  must  know 


ON  THE  OTHER  SIDE  155 

what  it  was  and  must  do  what  she  could  to 
prevent  it.  Jack  was  leaning  on  a  rail  of  the 
fence.  Her  hat  had  fallen  on  the  ground  and 
her  face  was  white,  yet  it  held  a  look  of  quiet 
power  and  strength  remarkable  in  a  girl  so 
young. 

Jim  was  aggravatingly  slow.  He  was  facing 
Dan  Norton  while  the  cowboys  hung  over 
the  pickets.  Dan  had  ceased  to  struggle,  but 
still  refused  to  look  either  at  Jim  or  Jack. 

"  Our  little  talk  ain't  going  to  take  but  a 
few  minutes,  sonnie,  if  you  will  answer  my 
questions  straight  from  the  shoulder/ '  Jim 
drawled.  "  Did  any  of  you  feel  a  bit  of  a  shock, 
say  like  an  earthquake,  a  few  minutes  back? 
It  'peared  like  the  ground  near  Rainbow  Creek 
had  gotten  tired  of  not  being  heard  from  for 
some  time  past  and  had  suddenly  swelled  up 
and  bust." 

Jim  pointed  toward  the  lake  only  a  few 
yards  from  them.  Jack  was  startled  to  see 
how  much  lower  the  water  was.  Could  it 
have  fallen  an  inch  in  such  a  little  while? 

Dan  shook  his  head  scornfully.  "Earth- 
quake! No,  you  are  off  your  base,"  he  sput- 
tered. "That  is,  at  least  I  did  feel  a  slight 
motion,  but  it  didn't  amount  to  much.     I 


156     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

don't  see  how  you  can  hold  me  responsible 
for  an  earthquake.  Say  fellers,  Jim  Colter 
is  pretty  far  gone  isn't  he,  if  he  thinks  I  am 
powerful  enough  to  move  the  earth."  Dan 
grinned,  delighted  with  his  own  wit,  but  his 
cowboys  only  continued  to  stare  at  him 
solemnly. 

"  Glad  you  felt  a  little  motion,  though  you 
was  pretty  safe  out  of  the  way,"  Jim  went  on 
in  the  same  quiet  fashion.  "Seems  like  I  could 
shut  my  eyes  and  tell  you  just  how  that  earth- 
quake happened.  You  ought  to  have  seen 
the  waters  of  Rainbow  Creek  dash  up  in  the 
air  and  then  begin  to  slide  plum  out  of  sight. 
It  was  most  like  a  miracle." 

Dan  faced  Jim  impudently.  "Well,  go 
on,  tell  us  how  your  miracle  happened?"  he 
invited  scornfully. 

Jacqueline  was  puzzled.  She  had  no  idea 
how  Jim  would  be  able  to  explain  the  peculiar 
phenomenon  which  they  had  just  seen. 

"  Oh,  a  charge  of  dynamite  caused  our  little 
earthquake,"  Jim  explained  briefly. 

"  You  see,  Mr.  Norton,  you  have  been  try- 
ing to  drain  the  water  from  our  creek  to  your 
ranch  for  some  time  back,  but  digging  a  lower 
channel  was  pretty  slow  work.     That  little 


ON  THE  OTHER  SIDE  157 

bunch  of  dynamite  just  between  your  land 
and  our  lake  has  made  a  pretty  nice  passage 
for  our  water  to  flow  through.  I  suppose 
you  made  your  entrance  underground  some- 
where near  that  clump  of  sage  brush,  so  it 
would  be  hard  for  us  to  disco ver." 

Dan  shrugged  his  heavy  shoulders,  "  What 
rotten  nonsense/ '  he  returned  sullenly. 

Jacqueline's  eyes  were  fairly  starting  with 
surprise  and  she  opened  her  lips  to  ask  a 
question  but  closed  them  quickly.  She 
couldn't  expect  to  comprehend  Jim's  accusa- 
tion. What  girl  ever  has  understood  any- 
thing about  engineering? 

Jim  laughed,  straightened  up  and  glanced 
toward  the  three  cowboys,  who  were  grouped 
picturesquely  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
divide.  a  Oh,  you  don't  have  to  take  my 
word  for  it,"  he  remarked  casually,  "I  will 
have  one  of  the  State  engineers  over  to  prove 
it  to  you.  You  see  if  there  is  one  thing  we 
are  strict  about  in  Wyoming,  it  is  our  water 
rights. 

"You  and  your  father  shall  pay  us  a  tidy 
sum  of  money  in  damages  for  this  work.'* 
Jim  slowly  let  go  the  tight  knot  which  had 
held  Dan  Norton.     "  Now  get  along   home 


158     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

when  you  like,  young  man,"  he  concluded. 
"lam  through  with  you  for  to-day." 

Dan  flung  the  lasso  to  the  ground  and 
glared  angrily  at  Jim  and  then  at  Jack.  But 
his  eyes  fell  before  Jacqueline  Ralston's.  Jack 
was  looking  at  him  steadily  with  the  scornful, 
slightly  haughty   expression  he  so  hated. 

Dan  smiled.  His  light  blue  eyes  were  al- 
most green  with  temper  and  narrowed  into 
two  fine  lines.  "  Oh,  it  don't  matter  about 
your  old  creek,  at  present,"  he  jeered.  "  You 
can  keep  the  water  on  Rainbow  Ranch  for 
another  few  months,  when  father  and  I  take 
possession  of  the  ranch,  we  can  drain  the 
water  over  here  if  we  like.  So  long!"  and  he 
glanced  contemptuously  at  Jack,  as  he  marched 
by  her. 

Jack  had  her  riding  whip  in  her  left  hand. 
For  a  second  she  longed  to  strike  at  Dan 
Norton  with  it.  How  dared  he  speak  in  that 
calm  and  self-assured  fashion  of  some  day 
taking  possession  of  their  own  beloved  Rain- 
bow Ranch?  Jack's  heart  was  like  lead, 
but  not  a  muscle  of  her  lovely  face  moved, 
her  eyelashes  did  not  even  tremble. 

Jim  watched  Dan  sneak  across  the  divide 
and  he  and  Jack  waited  until  the  ^ur  men 


ON  THE  OTHER  SIDE  159 

started  on  foot  across  the  plain.  Then  Jim 
smiled  a  slow  smile  which  meant  many  things. 
"Don't  you  worry  quite  so  much  about  our 
losing  our  ranch,  Jacqueline  Ralston,"  Jim 
announced.  "  If  old  Daniel  Norton  had  felt 
so  sure  he  was  going  to  succeed  in  getting  our 
place  away  from  us,  he  would  never  have  tried 
to  steal  our  water  at  this  stage  of  the  game." 

The  two  horses  were  grazing  near  by  and 
Jim  lifted  Jack  into  her  saddle.  They  turned 
their  faces  toward  Rainbow  Lodge. 

Once  or  twice,  Jim  rubbed  his  chin. 
a  Pretty  good  day's  work  for  us,  boss?"  he 
asked  finally. 

Jack's  eyes  danced  and  a  deep  rose  color 
glowed  in  her  cheeks.  She  did  not  look  in  the 
least  like  the  girl  who  had  received  in  tears 
the  news  of  the  possible  loss  of  her  home. 

Jack  laughed  softly,  under  her  breath. 
"It  sure  was  a  good  day's  work,  overseer, 
and  we'll  fight  till  the  hat  drops,"  she  answer- 
ed, in  the  tone  of  another  cowboy.  Then  Jack 
flicked  her  pony  with  her  whip.  "  Do  let's 
hurry,  Jim,"  she  called  gaily.  "  I  never  saw 
anything  in  my  life  so  delicious  as  the  picture 
you  made  lassoing  Dan.  I  am  just  dying  to 
get  home  to  tell  the  other  girls." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE   WET   BLANKET. 

TACK,  how  are  we  ever  going  to  quit 
using    slang?"     Jean    groaned. 

"Oh,  we  do  worse  things,  Jean  Bruce," 
Jack  answered  unfeelingly.  "  Little  we  know 
how  many  crimes  we  do  commit!  Just  wait 
until  a  straight-laced  old  maid  gets  hold  of 
us!  And  what  will  Cousin  Ruth  say  about 
Jim's  grammar?  You  know  she  is  a  B.A. 
from  some  woman's  college.  Do  you  know 
Jean,  I  often  wonder  if  Jim  talks  in  the  care- 
less way  he  does  simply  because  he  has  lived 
so  long  out  here  with  the  cowboys.  He  must 
have  had  some  education  when  he  was 
young,  he  seems  to  have  read  a  great  many 
books." 

"Jim  Colter  is  a  clam,"  Jean  remarked 
impatiently,  forgetting  her  resolution  to 
speak  only  "English,  pure  and  undefiled." 
"He  would  rather  die  than  to  let  us  learn 
anything  of  his  past.  I  do  declare,  Jack, 
that  if  he  were  anybody  in  the  world  except 
Jim,  I  should  think  he  had  something  in  his 

(160) 


THE  WET  BLANKET  161 

life  he  wished  to  conceal.     I  wonder  if  he 
ever  had  a  tragic  love  affair?" 

"Oh,  Jean,  you  are  a  romantic  goose," 
Jack  exclaimed.  "What  was  it  you  had  to 
show  me?" 

Jean  and  Jack  were  giving  a  thorough 
cleaning  to  the  living-room;  Aunt  Ellen  had 
shaken  the  rugs  and  polished  the  pine  floor, 
but  the  two  girls  were  dusting  vigorously 
in  every  crack  and  corner  and  rubbing  the 
brass  candlesticks  with  an  unaccustomed 
ardor. 

Through  the  entire  Lodge  there  rioted  a 
sense  of  preparation,  as  before  the  approach 
of  some  great  event. 

Jean  flung  down  her  dust  cloth,  seized  Jack 
by  the  hand  and  marched  her  over  to  the 
corner  lined  with  their  book  shelves. 

Jack  discovered  an  entirely  unknown  row 
of  books.  "Why,  Jean  Bruce!"  Jack  ex- 
claimed in  amazement.  "  Where  did  you  ever 
find  these  old  things  and  what  do  we  want 
with  them  anyhow?" 

Jack  was  staring  at  Congressional  reports,  a 
few  ancient  law  books  and  a  treatise  on  medi- 
cine. But  there  also  were  eight  volumes  of 
Oibbon's  "  Rome,"  Greene's  "  History  of  The 


162     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

English  People,"  and  several  other  valuable 
old  histories,  arranged  in  a  conspicuous  place 
on  the  book  shelves.  Jean's  most  cherished 
novels  had  been  stuck  out  of  sight. 

Jean  smiled  a  superior  smile.  "  I  found  the 
books  upstairs  in  Uncle's  trunk,  of  course,  and 
I  brought  them  down  here  to  impress  our  new 
chaperon  or  governess,  which  ever  you  choose 
to  call  her.  I  was  determined  she  should  not 
think  we  were  perfect  dunces  when  she  arrived 
at  Rainbow  Lodge." 

Jack  appeared  to  reflect.  "  I  don't  see  how 
it  will  do  much  good,"  she  argued,  half 
laughing.  "Cousin  Ruth  will  soon  find  out 
that  we  don't  know  anything  in  the  books 
worth  mentioning." 

But  Jean  was  not  in  the  least  discouraged. 
"  First  impressions  are  always  the  most  impor- 
tant, Jacqueline  Ralston,"  she  announced 
calmly.  "  My  advice  to  this  family  is  to  let 
Cousin  Ruth  get  her  shocks  from  our  wild 
behavior  by  degrees  so  that  she  will  have  time 
to  rally  in  between." 

"Do  you  think  she  is  going  to  find  us  so 
very  dreadful?"  Jack  inquired  quite  seriously, 
without  the  trace  of  a  smile.  She  was  climb- 
ing up  on  a  ladder  to  try  to  straighten  a 


THE  WET  BLANKET  163 

beautiful  golden  lynx  skin,  which  was  slip- 
ping off  the  wall. 

"Worse  than  wild  Indians/'  Jean  replied, 
unmoved,  "just  you  mark  my  words,  Miss 
Ralston.  For  instance,  Miss  Drew  is  going 
to  announce  that  it  is  a  perfect  shame  for  any 
one  to  shoot  a  poor  dear  wildcat.  Uncle 
ought  to  have  reasoned  with  that  cat  when 
it  jumped  at  him.  She  is  going  to  hate  us  and 
all  our  ways  forever  and  want  to  go  back  to 
her  blessed  New  England  in  a  week." 

Jack  sighed,  "you  are  a  Job's  comforter, 
Jean.  But  you  don't  have  to  worry,  I  know 
Cousin  Ruth  will  hold  me  responsible  for  our 
wicked  ways.  You  see  I  wrote  her  that  we 
did  not  want  her  to  come  out  to  us  when  she 
first  said  she  would.  Then  I  had  to  eat 
humble  pie  and  say  we  did.  But  even  if  she 
does  not  like  you  or  me,  Jean,  she  can't  help 
caring  for  Olive  and  Frieda.  Olive  is  the 
prettiest,  shyest  girl  in  the  world." 

Jean  nodded.  "  Jack,"  she  asked  more  sym- 
pathetically, "  is  Cousin  Ruth  horribly  old?" 

"  She  is  twenty-eight  and  a  dreadful  old 
maid,"  Jack  confessed  sadly.  "Jean,  you 
have  simply  got  to  ride  over  to  the  station 
with  Jim  to  meet  her  this  afternoon." 


164     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Jean  shook  her  head  and  dropped  languidly 
into  a  large  reclining  chair.  "  I  am  not  at  all 
well,  Jack/'  she  answered,  "  I  forgot  to  tell 
you  this  morning,  but  I  feel  a  bad  cold  coming 
on.  If  I  should  take  a  long  ride  I  am  sure 
I  should  be  quite  ill." 

Jack  stared  at  her  cousin  searchingly. 
"You  don't  show  the  least  sign  of  a  cold, 
Jean,"  she  argued. 

"  That  is  because  appearances  are  deceiving, 
sweet  coz,"  Jean  murmured.  "  How  is  our 
dear  lady  cousin  going  to  get  over  to  the 
ranch?" 

"  Oh,  Jim  is  going  to  lead  a  horse  over  for 
her  to  ride  back  on,"  Jack  announced  quite 
unconscious  of  breakers  ahead.  "You  see 
the  train  gets  in  so  late  that  we  couldn't  get 
home  until  after  dark,  if  we  drove  over,  and  I 
thought  it  would  be  kind  of  nice  to  have 
Cousin  Ruth  arrive  at  Rainbow  Lodge  just 
at  twilight.  You  didn't  think  to  look  among 
father's  books  for  a  stray  paper,  did  you, 
Jean?"  Jack  asked,  trying  to  appear  indif- 
ferent. 

"Yes,  I  did,  Jack,"  Jean  returned  quickly. 
"There  wasn't  anything.  Let's  don't  talk 
about  it.     I  promise  to  have  everything  at 


THE  WET  BLANKET  165 

the  Lodge  to-night  in  ship-shape  order,  when 
you  arrive.  We  have  cleaned  up  the  whole 
house  and  we  will  put  on  our  best  clothes  and 
stand  out  on  the  veranda  to  meet  you;  we 
might  even  sing,  'Hail,  the  conquering  hero 
comes/  if  you  think  it  would  be  appreciated/' 

"Do  you  suppose  Jim  could  meet  Cousin 
Ruth  without  me?"  Jack  queried,  as  a  forlorn 
hope. 

Jean  shook  her  head  decidedly.  "Most 
certainly  not,  Jack;  never  in  the  world!  The 
lady  would  think  Jim  was  trying  to  kid- 
nap her  and  he  would  be  scared  to  death." 
Jean  kissed  Jack  apologetically.  "  I  know  I 
am  horrid,  Jack,  to  put  all  the  hard  things 
off  on  you  because  you  are  a  little  bit  the 
oldest,  but  really,  if  I  had  to  meet  Cousin  Ruth 
at  the  station,  I'd  shiver  and  shake  until  I  fell 
off  my  horse.  I  will  do  the  next  hard  thing 
that  has  to  be  done  on  this  place,  I  will  hon- 
estly, cross  my  heart  and  body,"  Jean  argued 
penitently. 

Three  weeks  had  passed  since  Jim  Colter's 
and  Jack's  eventful  ride  across  the  ranch. 
It  was  late  October,  but  unusually  mild  and 
warm.  Cousin  Ruth  had  been  written  to  on 
the  very  evening  of  the  decision,  so  that  there 


166     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

could  be  no  chance  for  a  change  of  purpose 
on  the  part  of  the  ranch  girls,  for  they  felt 
that  they  were  in  for  it  and  were  determined 
to  do  their  best. 

Miss  Ruth  Drew  was  entirely  alone  in  the 
world  except  for  one  good-for-nothing  brother 
and  had  just  enough  money  to  eke  out  a  bare 
existence  in  a  dull  little  Vermont  town.  She 
wanted  an  object  in  life  and  believed  that  the 
ranch  girls  needed  her.  So  soon  as  Jack's  letter 
arrived,  she  had  telegraphed  that  she  would 
come  to  them  at  once.  Since  then,  the  days 
at  Rainbow  Lodge  had  slipped  by  like  magic 
until  the  fated  day  arrived.  Jim  Colter  and 
Jack,  with  many  inward  misgivings,  mounted 
their  ponies  and  leading  an  extra  one  for  Miss 
Drew,  rode  to  the  station. 

The  express  from  the  East  would  be  due  in 
an  hour. 

Jack  and  Jim  paced  restlessly  up  and  down 
the  station  platform,  with  their  arms  locked. 
Jim  looking  even  more  wretched  and  unhappy 
than  Jack.  He  wondered  how  in  the  world  he 
was  to  treat  the  old  lady  cousin  when  she 
came  out  to  them,  and  whether  she  would  shut 
him  off  from  caring  for  his  adored  ranch  girls. 

Jim  had  not  the  remotest  idea  of  Miss  Ruth 


THE  WET  BLANKET  167 

Drew's  age.  The  name  had  an  elderly  sound 
to  it  and  Jack  had  described  her  as  an  old 
maid;  consequently  Jim's  mental  picture 
showed  a  small,  grey-haired  woman  with  cork- 
screw curls,  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood 
of  fifty,  with  thin  lips  and  a  penetrating  eye. 
She  would  probably  reduce  him  to  powder 
with  a  single  glance,  but  he  meant  to  be  as 
polite  to  her  as  he  humanly  could  and  to 
speak  to  her  only  when  it  was  absolutely 
necessary. 

"Jim,"  Jack  suggested  finally,  "you  have 
sighed  like  a  human  bellows  three  times  in 
the  past  five  minutes.  If  you  meet  Cousin 
Ruth  with  that  expression,  she'll  think  we 
are  sorry  she  has  come.  Please  go  over  into 
the  town  and  buy  yourself  some  tobacco  or 
something  to  cheer  you.  I'll  get  on  Tricks 
and  ride  up  and  down  near  the  track  for  a 
while,  and  then  we  will  both  be  in  a  better 
humor  when  the  train  finally  does  get  in. " 

Miss  Ruth  Drew  sighed.  She  was  sitting 
in  the  Pullman  car  with  her  eyes  closed  and 
an  expression  of  supreme  fatigue  on  her 
sallow  but  not  unattractive  face. 

It  seemed  to  her  that  she  had  been  travel- 
ing ever  since  she  could    remember.     Were 


*68     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

there  people  in  the  world  idiotic  enough  to 
think  there  was  beauty  in  the  western  prairies? 
For  days  she  had  looked  out  on  bare  stretches 
of  endless  brown  plains  rising  and  falling  in 
one  monotonous  chain.  The  sand  was  in  her 
eyes,  in  her  ears,  in  her  mouth;  worst  of  all,  it 
had  piled  up  in  a  great  mass  of  homesickness 
on  her  heart. 

How  could  she  have  turned  her  back  on 
dear  New  England  villages,  with  their  sleepy, 
green  and  white  homesteads  and  trim  gardens, 
for  this  vast  desert?  "Of  course,  she  was 
doing  her  duty  in  coming  to  look  after  four 
motherless  girls,"  Ruth  remembered,  with  a 
pang,  but  her  duty  at  the  present  moment 
did  not  appear  cheerful. 

When  the  conductor  announced  that  the 
next  station  was  hers,  Ruth  sat  up  and 
arranged  her  hat  and  veil  neatly.  She  ad- 
justed her  glasses  on  her  thin  nose  and  put 
back  the  single  lock  of  hair  that  had  strayed 
from  its  place.  Her  heart  began  to  flutter 
a  little  faster.  Was  she  actually  arriving  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Rainbow  Ranch?  It  didn't 
seem  possible! 

If  you  can  imagine  a  very  prim,  grey  mouse 
kind  of  girl,  who  looked  a  good  deal  older  than 


THE  WET  BLANKET  169 

she  was,  with  ash  brown  hair  and  eyes  and  a 
neat  tailor-made  suit  to  match,  you  will  get 
a  very  good  impression  of  Miss  Ruth  Drew. 
Her  figure  was  very  good  and  her  mouth 
might  have  been  pretty,  except  that  it  looked 
as  though  she  disapproved  of  a  great  many 
things,  and  that  is  never  becoming.  But  she 
was  tired  and  homesick  and  it  was  not  a  fair 
time  to  judge  her. 

It  would  be  another  fifteen  minutes  before 
she  would  get  into  Wolfville,  and  Ruth  closed 
her  eyes  again.  There  was  nothing  to  see  out 
of  her  window  that  was  in  the  least  interesting 
and  she  preferred  to  think  about  the  ranch 
girls.  She  wondered  if  they  would  be  very 
hard  to  get  on  with,  if  they  were  very  wild  and 
reckless.  It  made  her  shudder:  the  idea  of 
her  cousin's  children  growing  up  with  only 
a  common  cowboy  for  their  friend  and 
adviser. 

There  was  a  little  stir  in  the  car,  the  engine 
had  slowed  down.  Ruth  opened  her  eyes; 
what  had  made  her  traveling  companions' 
faces  brighten  with  interest?  Three  or  four 
of  them  rushed  across  the  aisle  and  pressed 
their  noses  up  against  the  window  panes  on 
her  side  of  the  coach.     One  man  threw  up  the 


170     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

car  window,  leaned  out  and  shouted :  "  Hur- 
rah !"     A  woman  waved  her  handkerchief. 

Ruth's  curiosity  was  aroused  and  she  gazed 
languidly  out  her  window.  Flying  along  the 
road  that  followed  the  line  of  the  track,  was 
a  Western  pony.  The  horse  was  running  like 
a  streak,  his  nostrils  quivering  with  excite- 
ment, his  feet  pounding  along  the  hard  sand. 

"Beat  it!  beat  it!"  cried  the  excited 
stranger.  "  Did  anybody  ever  see  such  riding 
before?"     The  man  addressed  the  entire  car. 

Ruth  could  see  that  there  was  someone  on 
the  horse,  running  a  race  with  the  express 
train.  The  rider  was  in  brown  and  Ruth 
could  not  observe  very  distinctly.  She  sup- 
posed that  it  was  an  Indian  boy. 

"  That  girl  is  a  wonder!"  the  man  exclaimed, 
who  had  been  traveling  next  the  prim  young 
woman  from  the  East  for  four  days  without 
daring  to  look  straight  at  her.  He  leaned 
over  his  seat  and  smiled. 

"Girl!"  Miss  Drew  repeated  in  surprise. 
"  Was  the  figure  on  horseback  a  girl?"  Ruth 
was  quite  willing  to  admit  that  she  had  never 
seen  such  horsemanship  in  her  life.  The  girl 
was  perfectly  graceful  and  at  times  she  leaned 
over  to  urge  her  pony  on,  or  bent  sideways  as 


THE  WET  BLANKET  171 

though  she  swayed  with  the  motion  of  the 
wind.  She  seemed  to  rest  on  her  horse  so 
lightly  that  she  added  no  burden  to  him 
but  was  like  the  spirit  of  motion  carrying 
him  on. 

The  engine  ahead  whistled  three  times. 
The  train  was  moving  slowly,  still  it  was 
remarkable  how  the  rider  kept  up  with  the 
passenger  coach. 

Just  as  the  car  rolled  into  the  station,  the 
girl  on  horseback  flashed  a  smile  at  the  people 
watching  her  from  the  car  windows,  and 
Ruth  had  a  brief  glimpse  of  a  shaft  of  sunlight 
caught  in  a  mass  of  bright,  bronze  hair  and  a 
pair  of  radiant  cheeks  and  eyes.  Then  she 
seized  her  suit  case  and  umbrella,  slipped  into 
her  overshoes  and  hurried  out  of  the  train. 
She  had  read  that  it  rarely  rained  in  Wyoming, 
except  in  the  spring,  but  she  wished  to  run  no 
risk  of  taking  cold. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

AN   UNFORTUNATE   ARRIVAL. 

HpHERE  was  no  one  on  the  platform  when 
Ruth  dismounted,  but  a  tall  man,  who 
was  not  looking  for  her.  He  was  oddly  hand- 
some in  spite  of  his  queer  Western  clothes, 
and  Ruth  wished  for  aninstant  that  he  might  be 
Mr  .Colter.  Evidently  he  was  not.  He  stared 
at  her  curiously  for  a  few  seconds,  then  searched 
anxiously  along  every  other  exit  of  the  train. 

Cousin  Ruth  could  discover  no  one  else. 
The  madcap  girl,  who  had  run  her  wild  race 
with  the  train,  was  a  little  distance  ofL  She 
was  holding  three  ponies  b}^  their  bridles, 
and  as  one  of  them  was  dancing  with  nervous- 
ness on  account  of  the  noise  of  the  engine,  the 
girl  had  her  hands  full. 

Ruth  Drew's  heart  sank  to  ten  degrees 
below  zero.  Had  she  traveled  across  the 
continent  to  a  wild  Western  town  to  find  no 
one  to  meet  her?  The  ranch  girls  could  not 
be  so  rude;  and  Ruth  determined  to  ask  the 
good-looking  man  with  the  worried  expression, 
what  she  ought  to  do. 

(172) 


"Can  I  Do  Anything  For  You,  Ma'am  ?' 


AN  UNFORTUNATE  ARRIVAL  173 

Jim  was  gazing  sadly  after  the  departing 
coaches.  You  see  he  was  looking  for  a  white- 
haired  woman  of  about  fifty,  and  supposed 
that  the  old  lady  hadn't  known  enough  to 
get  off  the  train  at  the  right  station,  and  had 
gone  on  to  the  next  stop.  How  in  the  world 
would  he  be  able  to  connect  with  her? 

Jim  saw  the  young  woman  on  the  platform, 
but  she  wasn't  as  large  and  didn't  seem  to 
hirn  to  be  much  older  than  Jack.  He  sup- 
posed she  had  come  to  visit  some  of  their  ranch 
neighbors,  yet  she  looked  unhappy,  as  though 
she  wanted  to  cry.     Jim's  heart  was  touched. 

He  took  off  his  broad  Mexican  hat,  and 
Ruth  thought  with  a  sudden  gasp  that  she 
had  never  seen  such  blue  eyes  and  such  black 
hair  before. 

"  Can  I  do  anything  for  you,  ma'am?"  Jim 
inquired  politely.  "  It  'pears  like  your  folks 
haven't  come  to  meet  you." 

Ruth  shook  her  head.  She  was  too  full  of 
tears  to  trust  herself  to  speak  for  a  moment. 
"I  am  afraid  not,"  she  answered  finally. 
"  Will  }^ou  be  good  enough  to  tell  me  how  I 
can  get  over  to  the  Rainbow  Ranch?  I  have 
come  to  live  with  the  Ralston  girls.  I  am 
their  cousin — n 


174     RANCH  GIRT,S  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

"  Not  Ruth?"  Jim  exclaimed,  forgetting  his 
shyness  in  his  surprise.  "You  can't  be 
Cousin  Ruth,  because  the  girls  told  me  she  was 
an  old  maid."  Jim  stopped  abruptly,  con- 
scious  that  he  had  put  his  foot  in  it  with  his 
first  remark  to  their  new  visitor. 

Cousin  Ruth  drew  herself  up  a  little  stiffly. 
She  did  not  like  to  be  called  "an  old  maid,"  per- 
haps because  she  knew  she  often  acted  and 
looked  like  one,  but  she  was  too  tired  to  care 
much  about  anything  at  present.  She  only 
longed  with  all  her  heart  to  be  driven  home 
to  Rainbow  Lodge. 

"I  am  Cousin  Ruth  just  the  same,"  she 
answered  feebly,  trying  to  smile. 

Jim  grabbed  her  suit  case,  carried  her 
umbrella  like  a  shot  gun,  and  marched  her 
toward  the  girl  who  was  holding  the  three 
horses,  the  same  girl  who  had  shocked  and 
entertained  her  from  the  car  window. 

Jacqueline  slid  off  her  pony  and  passed  the 
three  bridles  to  Jim.  She  did  not  know 
whether  she  ought  to  kiss  her  cousin  or  only 
to  shake  hands  with  her,  for  there  was  some- 
thing in  Ruth's  expression  that  froze  Jack's 
first  affectionate  intention.  Ruth  was  truly 
horrified  at  Jack's  behavior.     She  didn't  see 


AN  UNFORTUNATE  ARRIVAL  175 

how  a  girl  could  be  so  reckless  of  appear- 
ances. 

Jack  held  out  a  slim,  cool  hand.  "  I  am 
awfully  glad  to  see  you,  Cousin  Ruth.  It  was 
very  good  of  you  to  come  out  to  us.  I  hope 
you  are  not  tired/ '  Jack  remarked,  as  though 
she  had  learned  her  greeting  out  of  an  etiquette 
book.  She  was  as  stiff  as  a  wooden  Indian, 
because  she  felt  so  abominably  shy. 

Ruth's  feelings  were  hurt.  She  did  not 
think  of  her  own  manners,  merely  of  Jack's. 
"Yes,  I  am  tired, "  she  replied  coldly.  "  Is 
the  carriage  waiting  for  us  in  the  town?" 

Jack's  face  reddened.  Jim  gave  a  hasty 
glance  of  embarrassment  toward  the  two 
women.     There  was  an  awkward  silence. 

Jack  found  her  voice  first.  "We  didn't 
bring  a  wagon  over  for  you,  Cousin  Ruth. 
We  don't  own  a  carriage,"  Jack  explained. 
"  It  is  so  late  that  we  didn't  think  we  would 
get  to  the  ranch  before  night,  if  we  drove. 
We  brought  a  horse  for  you  to  ride. " 

Ruth  Drew  sank  limply  on  the  ground. 
"  A  horse  to  ride!"  she  exclaimed  faintly.  u  I 
have  never  been  on  a  horse  in  my  life.  How 
far  is  it  to  the  ranch?" 

"Ten  miles,"   Jack  acknowledged  shame- 


176     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

facedly.  Ten  miles  did  sound  like  a  great 
distance  to  a  stranger,  although  the  ranch 
girls  had  always  thought  that  they  lived  very 
close  to  town;  but  the  idea  of  a  full-grown, 
able-bodied  woman  not  knowing  how  to  ride 
horseback  had  never  entered  Jacqueline 
Ralston's  head.  What  on  the  face  of  the 
green  earth  were  they  to  do?  "You  had 
better  go  over  into  the  town  and  see  if  you  can 
get  a  carriage,  Jim, "  Jack  advised.  "  I  never 
thought  of  Cousin  Ruth's  not  liking  to  ride. 
I  can  lead  the  two  horses  home,  if  you  will 
drive  her  over." 

Jack  was  really  miserably  embarrassed  at 
her  own  failure  as  a  hostess.  She  knew  that 
they  were  making  a  dreadful  first  impression 
on  Cousin  Ruth,  and  Jean  had  warned  her  that 
first  impressions  were  most  important.  But 
Ruth  Drew  thought  she  caught  something 
in  Jack's  tone  that  sounded  supercilious. 
There  was  nothing  so  extraordinary  in  Ruth's 
being  ignorant  of  horses,  she  had  never  been 
rich  enough  to  own  one;  yet  it  was  quite 
impossible  for  the  Eastern  girl  and  the  Western 
one  to  understand  each  other's  points  of  view. 

Jim  Colter  came  back  utterly  crestfallen; 
there  was  no  carriage  to  be  had  in  the  town. 


AN  UNFORTUNATE  ARRIVAL  177 

With  the  courage  of  despair,  Ruth  let  her- 
self be  swung  up  on  the  homely  broncho. 
She  was  horribly  frightened,  although  Jack 
assured  her  that  she  was  riding  the  gentlest 
pony  on  the  ranch,  one  that  belonged  to  little 
Frieda.  It  made  no  difference,  Ruth  slipped 
and  slid.  She  clutched  the  pony's  mane  in  her 
hands  and  let  Jim  lead  her,  yet  every  time  the 
pony  went  out  of  a  walk,  Ruth  wanted  to 
shriek  with  fear.  She  had  traveled  hundreds 
and  hundreds  of  miles  from  Vermont  to 
Wyoming,  but  the  distance  was  as  nothing  to 
her  ten-mile  horseback  ride  to  Rainbow  Lodge. 

Every  muscle  in  Ruth's  body  ached;  she 
had  a  horrid  stitch  in  her  side  and  swayed 
uncertainly  in  the  saddle.  Each  moment  she 
expected  to  fall  off. 

The  ride  home  seemed  almost  as  long  to 
Jack  and  Jim  as  it  did  to  their  guest.  They 
were  so  ashamed  of  themselves,  and  Jack's 
cheeks  were  hot  with  blushes  every  time  she 
looked  at  her  new  cousin. 

After  about  an  hour  of  slow  traveling 
Jack  caught  sight  of  Ruth.  Her  face  was 
grey  with  pain  and  fatigue. 

"  Stop,  Jim, "  Jack  called  sharply.  "  Cousin 
Ruth  is  going  to  faint." 

12 


178     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Ruth  had  a  dim  recollection  of  being  lifted 
off  her  horse  and  for  the  rest  of  her  journey 
she  felt  herself  being  held  up  by  a  strong  arm. 
Now  and  then  a  man's  voice  spoke  to  her,  as 
if  she  were  a  little  girl  and  he  were  trying  to 
comfort  her.  He  was  a  haven  of  refuge  and 
Ruth  did  not  think  or  care  who  or  what  he 
was,  and  finally  he  brought  her  safely  to 
Rainbow  Lodge. 

Jack  thought  she  had  never  seen  her  home 
so  lovely.  There  was  a  golden  glow  behind 
the  house  and  the  wind  stirred  through  the 
quivering  yellow  leaves  of  the  cottonwood 
trees.  Rainbow  creek  lay  on  one  side  of  them 
and  on  the  other  the  broad  sweep  of  the  plains. 
Jack  gazed  wistfully  at  Ruth  who  was  riding 
in  front  of  Jim;  surely  their  new  cousin  would 
show  some  interest  in  her  new  home ! 

Jean,  Frieda  and  Olive  ran  out  in  the  yard 
to  meet  the  cavalcade.  Jack  waved  her  hand, 
but  Cousin  Ruth  did  not  open  her  eyes. 

"We  are  about  home,  now,  Miss  Drew/' 
Jim  found  courage  to  say. 

"Heaven  be  praised!"  Ruth  sighed.  She 
could  barely  speak. 

Aunt  Ellen  was  waiting  on  the  porch  in  a 
starched  white  apron,  and  took  in  the  situa- 


AN  UNFORTUNATE  ARRIVAL  179 

tion  with  quick  sympathy.  She  saw  her  girls' 
disappointed,  embarrassed  faces  and  their 
cousin's  worn  one. 

Aunt  Ellen  gathered  Ruth  in  her  arms. 
"  Leave  her  alone,  honies,  she  is  just  tired  out," 
she  explained  to  the  ranch  girls.  And  without 
the  least  effort  from  Ruth,  Aunt  Ellen  got 
her  in  bed,  fed  her  some  broth  and  told  her  to 
go  to  sleep  and  not  to  worry. 

In  the  big  living-room  with  its  splendid 
pine  fire,  Jack,  Jean,  Frieda  and  Olive  ate 
their  feast  of  welcome  alone. 

It  was  hardly  worth  while  to  have  taken  so 
much  trouble  to  get  ready  for  a  guest  who 
looked  neither  at  you  nor  your  house  when  she 
came  in  to  it. 

Jack  was  plainly  cast  down.  Jean,  Frieda 
and  Olive  were  almost  as  discouraged. 

"I  think  Cousin  Ruth  is  tiresome,"  Jean 
exclaimed  petulantly.  "  I  don't  see  why  she 
couldn't  have  spoken  to  us." 

Frieda's  blue  eyes  filled  with  tears.  u  I 
don't  believe  she  is  going  to  like  us  very  much," 
she  added  disconsolately. 

"I  am  dreadfully  afraid  of  her  already," 
Olive  sighed.  "Are  you  sure,  Jack,  that 
you    explained     to    her    about    me?      She 


180       RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

may  not  like  my  living  with  you  at  the 
ranch." 

Jack  put  her  arm  about  Olive  and  drew  her 
toward  the  fire.  "Of  course  Cousin  Ruth 
will  care  for  you  as  much  as  she  does  for  any 
one  of  us,  Olive;  she  has  to,"  Jack  insisted. 
"  Remember  that  while  you  haven't  any  name 
of  your  own,  you  are  Olive  Ralston.  Isn't  it 
splendid  that  old  Laska  and  Josef  have  left  us 
in  peace?  I  wonder  if  they  do  intend  to  give 
you  up  to  us  without  any  more  fuss!" 

Olive  shivered  a  little  in  Jack's  grasp.  "  I 
hope  so,"  she  answered  fervently.  "Laska 
and  the  old  Indian  life  seem  hundreds  of  years 
away.  Yet  I  have  been  at  the  ranch  only  a 
little  less  than  a  month." 

"Don't  worry,  Olive,  "Jack  returned  thought- 
fully. "  Let  us  just  be  glad  to-night  that  we 
have  one  more  evening  alone ; ' '  which  shows  how 
Jack  felt  about  the  arrival  of  the  new  chaperon. 

The  girls  sat  up  quite  late.  Frieda  went  to 
sleep  with  her  head  in  Jack's  lap,  Jean  fell  to 
nodding,  but  Olive  and  Jack  were  wide  awake. 
Olive  was  older  than  the  ranch  girls  had 
thought  her  at  first.  She  must  have  come 
next  to  Jack,  although  old  Laska  had  never 
told  Olive  her  exact  birthday. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

ALL   SAVE   JACK! 

TT  was  nearly  noon  next  day  when  the 
latest  comer  to  Rainbow  Lodge  awoke. 
She  stir  felt  sore  and  stiff  from  her  long 
journeyings,  but  she  could  never  remember 
such  a  blissful  sleep  in  her  life. 

Out  her  bedroom  window,  Ruth  thought 
she  caught  the  sound  of  the  girls'  voices  and 
slipping  into  her  wrapper,  threw  up  her 
window  blind.  The  sun  flooded  her  room  with 
a  curious  radiance.  Ruth  felt  she  had  never 
known  what  real  sunlight  was  before.  It  cer- 
tainly cleared  away  the  mists  from  her  heart 
and  brain. 

Ruth  gazed  around  her  room.  It  was  a  joy 
to  her  in  its  wide  sunlit  emptiness.  The 
girls  had  hung  white  muslin  curtains  at  the 
windows,  the  little  pine  wood  table,  chair  and 
bureau  were  painted  white  and  the  bed  was 
white  iron.  A  little  fire  burned  in  the  low 
grate,  for  Aunt  Ellen  had  stolen  in  and  laid  it, 
without  wakening  their  guest.  There  was  no 
color  in  the  room  except  the  soft  brown  stain 

(181) 


182     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

on  the  walls  and  floor,  and  one  bright,  red 
and  black  Indian  blanket. 

Ruth  understood  that  the  girls  had  made 
the  place  lovely  for  her.  She  began  to  feel 
that  perhaps  they  did  want  her  with  them 
after  all.  Unconsciously  she  yielded  to  the 
cheerful  spirit  of  Rainbow  Lodge  and  hurry- 
ing into  her  clothes,  found  Aunt  Ellen  ready 
with  her  toast  and  coffee. 

Aunt  Ellen  explained  that  the  ranch  girls 
had  disappeared  somewhere  about  the  ranch. 
They  had  waited  for  their  visitor,  but  when 
it  seemed  that  she  was  going  to  sleep  all  day, 
they  vanished. 

"You  mustn't  mind,  Miss,"  Aunt  Ellen 
murmured  apologetically,  "but  they  can't 
somehow  stay  indoors,  so  long  as  the  good 
weather  holds." 

Cousin  Ruth  went  shyly  out  on  the  ranch- 
house  veranda.  She  was  thinking  regretfully 
of  what  a  bad  impression  she  had  made  on 
her  cousins  the  night  before,  because  she,  too, 
had  planned  a  very  different  kind  of  meeting. 
No  recollection  remained  of  any  one  of  the 
girls,  except  Jack,  whom  she  would  always 
remember  as  the  young  Centaur  she  saw 
racing  across  the  plains. 


ALL  SAVE  JACK!  183 

Ruth  strolled  slowly  down  the  path  through 
the  cottonwood  trees.  She  was  beginning  to 
feel  lonely,  and  hoped  one  of  the  girls  would 
turn  up  soon.  Above  her  head  the  yellow 
leaves  rustled  softly  and  the  brown  landscape 
no  longer  looked  uninteresting.  It  was  all 
new  and  strange,  she  thought,  but  some  day 
she  might  learn  to  care  for  it. 

If  Miss  Drew  had  not  been  so  deep  in  her 
reflections,  she  would  not  have  been  so  terri- 
fied a  moment  later.  For  suddenly  in  her  way 
there  loomed  a  big  shaggy  animal  and  a  pair 
of  huge  paws  clung  to  her  shoulders. 

Ruth  screamed. 

"  Down!  Shep,  down!"  cried  a  merry  voice. 
"  I  am  so  sorry,  Cousin  Ruth.  Shep  is  our 
watchdog.  He  never  realizes  that  visitors 
don't  understand  his  friendly  intentions." 

Jean  slipped  through  an  opening  in  the 
trees,  carrying  a  tin  bucket  on  her  arm.  "  I 
have  been  for  some  milk,"  she  explained. 
"  The  cows  Jim  keeps  for  our  use  have  their 
stable  near  Jim's  house  and  Aunt  Ellen 
wanted  some  extra  milk  and  sent  me  for  it. 
I  hope  you  feel  quite  rested. " 

Jean  sometimes  tilted  her  head,  with  its 
mass  of  heavy  brown  hair,  a  bit  to  one  side, 


184     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

when  she  was  deeply  interested.  She  sur- 
veyed their  new  chaperon  with  such  a  merry, 
friendly  sparkle  in  her  wide-open  brown  eyes 
that  Ruth  was  charmed  with  her  at  once. 
She  couldn't  have  guessed  that  Miss  Jean 
Bruce  was  making  a  rapid  inventory  of  Miss 
Ruth  Drew's  character,  inside  and  out. 

"Manner,  stiff  and  old  maidy;  complexion, 
bad;  hair  pretty,  if  she  fixed  it  differently; 
mouth  looks  like  she  has  eaten  something 
acid,  except  when  she  smiles,  then  mouth  and 
eyes  quite  nice;  figure  small,  but  distinctly 
good." 

Ruth  was  patting  old  Shep,  for  as  usual 
Jean  was  talking  in  a  steady  stream.  a  Hope 
you  didn't  mind  our  going  off  and  leaving 
you,"  she  apologized.  "You  see  we  have  a 
good  many  small  duties  about  the  ranch. 
Jack  probably  won't  be  back  until  luncheon, 
but  I  am  sure  we  will  soon  find  Frieda  and 
Olive." 

Ruth  leaned  over.  "Won't  you  kiss  me, 
Jean?"  she  asked  unexpectedly.  "  I  have  an 
idea  you  and  I  may  be  good  friends."  She 
guessed  that  Jean  was  mischievous  and  full 
of  fun,  but  not  nearly  so  hard  to  influence  as 
headstrong  Jack. 


ALL  SAVE  JACK!  185 

Jean's  manner  softened.  She  put  down 
her  milk  pail  and  gave  the  much-discussed 
cousin  an  affectionate  hug.  "  I  hope  you  are 
going  to  be  happy  with  us  at  Rainbow  Lodge," 
she  exclaimed.  "You  know  we  are  used  to 
doing  pretty  much  what  we  like,  but  remem- 
ber, if  things  go  wrong,  you  are  going  to  tell 
us  how  to  behave,"  and  she  ended  her  ad- 
vice with  such  a  funny  expression  that  Cousin 
Ruth  laughed  and  slipped  her  hand  through 
Jean's  arm. 

"Just  let  me  get  through  with  playing 
'Molly  the  Milkmaid/  Cousin  Ruth,  and  we 
will  go  find  the  other  girls,"  Jean  suggested 
when  they  got  back  to  the  ranch  house.  A 
minute  later  Jean  reported  that  Aunt  Ellen 
thought  Olive  and  Frieda  were  somewhere 
near  the  creek.  Olive  had  suggested  that  she 
would  tr}'  to  catch  some  fresh  fish  for  Cousin 
Ruth's  luncheon. 

The  waters  of  Rainbow  Creek  were  no  longer 
in  danger  of  flowing  into  the  Norton  ranch. 
Jim  and  his  men  had  built  a  dam  at  the  end  of 
Rainbow  Lake,  where  the  dynamite  explosion 
had  taken  place.  The  Ralston  Ranch  had 
filed  suit  for  damages  against  Mr.  Norton, 
but  the  claim  had  not  yet  been  settled. 


186     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Ruth  and  Jean  crossed  some  stepping- 
stones  to  the  wooded  side  of  the  stream  and 
had  walked  only  a  short  distance  beyond, 
when  Ruth  spied  a  gleam  of  color  a  little 
farther  on.  It  was  Frieda,  who  wore  a  red 
Tarn,  a  red  sweater  and  her  long  blonde  plaits 
tied  with  red  ribbons.  She  was  sitting  on 
the  stump  of  an  old  tree  sewing  some  bits  of 
ribbon  together  as  calmly  as  though  she  had 
been  in  a  little  rocking-chair  by  the  fire.  She 
looked  so  like  a  little  German  madchen,  though 
she  was  so  far  away  from  the  Vaterland,  that 
Ruth  wanted  to  laugh  aloud. 

"  Frieda  !"  called  an  unfamiliar  voice. 

Frieda  glanced  quickly  up.  She  was  mak- 
ing a  pincushion  for  their  new  cousin  and 
had  not  had  time  to  finish,  but  hoped  to  be 
through  with  it  before  Olive  landed  her  fish. 

The  bits  of  silk  ribbon  fluttered  to  the 
ground  as  Frieda  caught  sight  of  a  stranger 
not  much  larger  than  Jean.  She  had  her 
arms  outstretched  and  such  an  eager  look 
in  her  nearsighted  eyes  that  Frieda  flew 
straight  to  her. 

"  I  am  awfully  glad  to  see  you,  I  am  really, " 
Frieda  announced,  giving  her  new  cousin  an 
old-fashioned  hug.     "  There  are  such  a  lot  of 


ALL  SAVE  JACK!  187 

things  I  want  you  to  show  me  that  Jack  and 
Jean  and  Olive  don't  know  a  single  thing 
about.  And  I  am  sure  I  shall  like  you  in 
spite  of  what — "  But  a  warning  look  from 
Jean  cut  short  Frieda's  confidences. 

"  Where  is  Olive?"  Jean  asked  quickly. 

"She  is  not  very  far  away,"  Frieda  ans- 
wered, "  but  you  must  walk  softly  or  you  will 
frighten  the  fish." 

Cousin  Ruth  tiptoed  as  softly  as  Frieda 
could  wish.  She  was  curious  to  see  this  new 
ranch  girl  whom  Jack  had  written  her  about, 
and  she  would  have  been  sorry  to  have  missed 
her  first  vision  of  Olive. 

Olive  hung  out  over  the  water,  where  the 
creek  deepened  into  a  small  pool,  under  the 
branches  of  a  scrub  pine  tree.  One  slender 
arm  clung  to  a  limb  of  the  young  tree  as  she 
looked  down  into  the  muddy  water  in  the 
shadow  of  the  evergreen  boughs.  Ruth  had 
a  quick  and  vivid  impression  of  her  glossy 
black  hair;  her  delicate  figure,  with  its  peculiar 
woodland  grace,  clothed  in  an  old  green  dress 
th€  color  of  the  autumn  grass,  and  caught  her 
breath  in  wonder.  The  girl  looked  like  a 
dryad  who  had  stolen  out  of  the  heart  of  a 
tree  to  catch  an  image  of  herself  in  the  water. 


188     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

"Olive,  don't  fall  in  the  creek,"  Jean 
called  out  gaily.  "  Come  and  be  introduced 
to  Cousin  Ruth ;  she  would  rather  see  you  than 
have  fish  for  her  luncheon." 

Olive  gave  a  startled  cry  and  Jean  made  a 
dive  for  her.  But  Olive  did  not  tumble  into 
the  water.  She  gave  a  quick  jerk  to  her 
fishing  line,  hooked  and  drew  in  a  good-sized 
trout.  Then  Olive  slipped  up  the  bank  to  the 
others.  Ruth  looked  curiously  at  the  dark, 
rich  coloring  of  her  face;  she  did  not  seem 
like  an  Indian,  and  yet  she  certainly  bore 
no  resemblance  to  an  American  girl. 
Cousin  Ruth  felt  that  she  would  be  an 
interesting  study,  although  Olive  was  too 
shy  to  say  more  than  a  dozen  words  of 
greeting. 

"  Come  on,  let's  walk  a  little  farther  along 
the  creek,  Jack  won't  be  home  for  a  while  yet," 
Jean  declared.  "  Jack  thinks  the  ranch  would 
go  to  rack  and  ruin  unless  she  were  around 
to  boss  things." 

"Don't  you  think  maybe  it  would?"  Olive 
questioned  gently. 

Jean  laughed.  "  Oh,  I  expect  so,  Olive ; 
but  how  you  do  take  up  for  Jack!  Cousin 
Ruth,  you  will  have  to  protect  Frieda  and  me. 


ALL  SAVE  JACK!  189 

Olive  thinks  Jack  is  perfection  and  agrees  to 
anything  she  says." 

"Look,  look!  Oh,  please  don't  talk," 
Frieda  cried  in  excitement,  pointing  up  in  the 
sky  above  the  bed  of  the  creek. 

A  weird  troop  of  birds  was  flying  toward 
them,  uttering  a  queer,  guttural  noise.  They 
were  some  distance  off,  but  their  short  wings 
seemed  to  clack  like  Spanish  castanets  and 
their  long  legs  looked  like  dangling  bits  of 
string. 

"What  on  earth  are  those  creatures?" 
Ruth  asked  helplessly.  She  was  surely  seeing 
interesting  sights  in  what  she  had  thought  a 
barren  and  desert  land. 

"They  are  sand  cranes,"  Olive  whispered 
softly.  "  Let's  be  quite  still.  They  are  fly- 
ing so  low,  I  think  they  mean  to  alight. 
They  must  have  mistaken  the  creek  for  a 
river." 

Frieda  snickered  and  put  her  hand  to  her 
mouth. 

"Shsh,  Frieda,"  Olive  cautioned.  "These 
funny  birds  are  as  shy  as  deer.  If  they  do 
alight,  they  will  probably  come  down  in  the 
cleared  field." 

The  birds  swept  slowly  down  nearer  the 


190     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

earth  in  a  half  circle,  still  uttering  their  curious 
cries.  It  was  as  Olive  said,  they  were  moving 
toward  an  open  field. 

The  four  girls  crept  breathlessly  through  th& 
trees  and  bushes,  until  they  could  find 
peepholes. 

The  cranes  dipped  down.  One  of  them 
touched  the  ground,  then  another  descended, 
and  the  third  joined  them;  the  birds  stood 
each  with  a  long  thin  leg  drawn  up  out  oi 
sight,  until  the  whole  flock  had  landed  in  a 
circle  on  the  ground.  The  leader  must  have 
squawked:  "Bow  to  your  partners,  swing 
your  corners/ '  for  the  birds  immediately 
started  a  stately  dance.  They  flapped  their 
wings,  they  twisted  their  long  necks,  they  fan- 
ned their  short  tails  and  made  strange  signs 
to  one  another.  They  hopped  together  to  a 
given  spot  and  then  hopped  back  again, 
never  for  a  single  moment  losing  their  solemn 
dignity. 

Ruth  held  in  as  long  as  she  could.  But 
really  this  dance  of  the  sand-hill  cranes  was 
the  funniest  sight  she  had  ever  seen  in  her 
life !  She  laughed  silently,  until  the  tears  ran 
down  her  cheeks,  her  glasses  slid  off  her  nose 
and  she  forgot  she  had  ever  thought  of  being 


ALL  SAVE  JACK!  191 

homesick.  Frieda  chuckled  softly  at  first. 
But  finally  Jean  and  Olive  joined  in,  and  the 
secret  audience  burst  into  a  roar. 

The  leader  of  the  cranes  cast  a  shocked, 
horrified  glance  behind  him,  clacked  a  signal 
to  his  followers  and  the  birds  rose  together 
in  flight. 

Olive  ran  out  into  the  field  and  a  long,  light 
brown  feather  fluttering  downward  from  the 
last  bird  in  the  flock,  rested  for  a  second  in 
her  black  hair.  Frieda  skipped  toward  her. 
"Give  the  feather  to  me,  Olive,"  Frieda 
begged.  "  It  is  exactly  what  I  want  to  trim 
my  doll's  hat." 

But  Olive  made  no  answer,  and  when  she 
joined  Ruth  and  Jean  she  looked  a  little  pale. 

"What's  the  trouble,  Olive?"  Jean  asked. 
"You  look  so  funny,  just  like  you  were 
frightened  over  something." 

Olive  shook  her  head.  "  Oh,  I  know  I  am 
silly,"  she  explained,  "and  I  don't  really 
believe  in  it.  But  there  is  an  old  Indian 
legend,  that  when  a  bird  drops  a  feather  at 
your  feet,  it  is  to  give  you  a  warning  of  ap- 
proaching danger.  There  is  an  Indian  story 
of  a  young  chief  who  was  on  his  way  to  war. 
Three  times  an  eagle  cast  down  a  feather 


192     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

before  him.  The  chief  knew  what  the  signal 
meant,  but  he  went  on  into  battle  just  the 
same.  Of  course  he  and  his  men  were 
killed!" 

Jack  was  waiting  at  the  ranch  house  when 
the  girls  returned.  She  tried  to  stifle  the 
pang  of  jealousy  she  felt  when  Frieda  clung 
to  her  new  cousin,  instead  of  racing  to  her  in 
her  usual  fashion. 

Jack  and  Ruth  shook  hands  politely.  Each 
one  of  them  tried  to  be  as  friendly  as  possible 
to  the  other.  But  to  save  their  lives  they 
could  not  get  rid  of  their  first  feeling  of  an- 
tagonism. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

WHEN   GREEK  MEETS   GREEK. 

"OpHERE  is  not  the  least   harm    in  it, 

-**  Cousin  Ruth.  It  is  only  that  you 
don't  understand  our  Western  customs," 
Jack  announced  sweetly. 

She  was  standing  in  front  of  the  living-room 
fire  with  her  hands  clasped  behind  her.  Her 
head  was  up  in  the  air,  showing  the  firm  line 
of  her  chin  and  the  mutinous  expression  of 
her  eyes,  which  were  half  closed. 

It  was  after  tea  at  Rainbow  Lodge  and, 
except  for  Jack  and  Cousin  Ruth,  the  scene 
would  have  been  a  peaceful  and  beautiful 
one. 

Jean  was  playing  softly  on  a  new  piano 
which  had  lately  been  installed  at  the  Lodge, 
for  among  other  things  the  new  governess  was 
giving  the  ranch  girls  music  lessons.  Jean, 
who  had  studied  before  and  had  a  good  deal 
of  talent,  was  rarely  away  from  the  piano 
when  she  was  in  the  house.  Frieda  leaned 
against  her  cousin,  watching  her  play,  while 
Olive  had  a  book  in  her  lap,  pretending  to 

13  (193) 


194     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

read.  Cousin  Ruth  sat  by  the  library  table 
with  a  basket  of  mending  beside  her  and  a  very 
uncompromising  expression  on  her  face.  She 
was  pale  to-night,  although  she  looked  in 
better  health  and  younger  than  she  had  when 
she  first  arrived  at  Rainbow  Ranch  threa 
weeks  before. 

"I  am  sorry  to  differ  with  you,  Jack/' 
Ruth  returned  firmly.  "But  it  would  be 
very  difficult  to  convince  me  that  a  round-up 
is  any  place  for  a  young  girl.  If  it  is  a  western 
custom  for  girls  to  attend  them,  then  I  think 
the  custom  is  shocking.  In  any  case  I  am 
certainly  not  willing  for  you  to  go." 

Jack's  eyes  flashed  defiantly.  For  three 
weeks  there  had  been  a  kind  of  armed  neu- 
trality between  Jacqueline  Ralston  and  her 
new  cousin.  Jack  considered  that  she  had 
been  very  patient  with  Cousin  Ruth's  bossing. 
Ruth  believed  that  she  had  been  very  for- 
bearing with  Jack's  pride.  Jack  had  given 
up  her  beloved  custom  d  riding  over  the 
ranch  every  morning,  tc  spend  three  poky 
hours  in  the  schoolroom  with  the  other  girls, 
but  she  did  not  intend  to  be  interfered  with 
any  further  in  her  plans  for  running  their 
ranch. 


WHEN  GREEK  MEETS  GREEK  195 

"  I  am  sorry,  Cousin  Ruth,"  Jack  argued, 
©till  keeping  her  temper  under  control.  "  In 
anything  else  I  should  be  quite  willing  to  give 
up  to  your  judgment,  but  you  see  I  happen 
to  know  about  our  Wyoming  round-ups  and 
you  don't.  They  are  not  nearly  so  wild  and 
bloodthirsty  as  you  imagine.  I  shall  not  go 
near  the  place  where  they  are  herding  the 
cattle,  though  lots  of  times  women  drive  over 
to  the  round-ups  and  stay  on  the  outskirts  of 
things  just  to  see  the  cowboys  and  horses  pass 
by.  It's  simply  great!"  For  a  moment 
Jack's  eyes  sparkled,  but  then  she  tried  to 
appear  more  serious.  (i  Besides,  Cousin  Ruth, 
it  happens  to  be  a  matter  of  business  for  me 
to  attend  the  round-up  this  fall.  This  is  the 
last  one  until  spring  and,  as  I  told  you,  it 
will  be  only  a  small  one,  but  lots  of  our  cattle 
have  been  disappearing  for  months  and  I 
want  to  consult  with  some  of  our  neighboring 
ranchmen  about  it.  Jean  Bruce,  do  please 
stop  making  that  noise,"  Jack  demanded,  hei 
bad  humor  flashing  out  at  Jean. 

Jean  brought  her  music  to  an  end  with  a 
loud  crash,  and  then  came  over  and  sat  down 
cross-legged  on  a  rug  by  the  fire  in  front  of 
Ruth. 


196     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

"  Don't  waste  your  time  arguing  with  Jack, 
Cousin  Ruth/'  Jean  advised.  "When  she 
says  she  ought  to  do  a  thing,  she  means  she 
intends  to  do  it.  It  is  perfectly  absurd  for 
Jack  to  insist  that  she  has  any  business  at 
the  round-up,  for  she  knows  perfectly  well 
that  Jim  can  attend  to  everything.  It  is 
nobody  in  the  world  but  old  Dan  Norton  who 
is  stealing  our  cattle  and  it  seems  to  me  we 
had  better  not  have  any  more  trouble  with 
him,  until  more  important  affairs  are  settled." 

"I  entirely  agree  with  you,  Jean,"  saii 
Cousin  Ruth  severely.  "  Jack,  you  are  not 
old  enough  to  decide  such  matters  for  your- 
self." 

Jack  did  not  answer.  She  directed  a  single 
angry  glance  at  Jean,  but  Jean  was  hard  to 
quarrel  with.  She  made  the  most  irritating 
speeches  and  then  looked  as  innocent  as  a 
lamb.  Frieda  had  stolen  up  to  Jack  and 
slipped  her  hand  in  her  sister's.  It  frightened 
Frieda  terribly  when  people  quarreled,  and 
Jack  saw  that  her  little  sister's  eyes  were  full 
of  tears. 

Jack  walked  over  and  sat  down  in  a  big 
chair,  drawing  little  Frieda  up  in  her  lap  and 
there   was  an  uncomfortable  silence  in  the 


WHEN  GREEK  MEETS  GREEK  197 

room  until  feet  sounded  along  the  hall  and 
a  knock  came  at  the  living-room  door. 

"Why  it's  Jim!"  Jean  exclaimed  in  sur- 
prise, scrambling  to  her  feet.  "I  wonder 
what  brings  him  up  to  the  ranch  house  to- 
night? We  have  seen  hardly  anything  of 
him  since  Cousin  Ruth  arrived !" 

Ruth  bent  her  head  lower  over  her  work. 
It  was  true.  She  need  not  have  feared  Mr. 
Colter's  influence  with  the  ranch  girls,  for  he 
had  not  been  to  the  Lodge,  except  on  business, 
since  she  undertook  to  chaperon  them.  He 
was  very  polite  to  her,  but  he  seemed  afraid 
to  speak  in  her  presence.  Ruth  wondered  if 
she  seemed  as  much  of  an  old  maid  to  him  as 
he  had  thought  her  at  first. 

"  Jim,  what's  up?  You  are  a  swell  to-night," 
Jean  teased.  "  Did  you  think  we  were  giving 
a  party?" 

Jim  did  look  different.  He  wore  a  stiff 
white  shirt  instead  of  a  soft  flannel  one  and 
could  hardly  turn  his  head  in  his  starched 
linen  collar. 

Frieda  flew  to  him  with  a  little  cry  of  wel- 
come. 

"  What's  the  matter,  baby?"  Jim  demanded, 
noticing    Frieda's    flushed    cheeks.    As    he 


198     RANCH  aiRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

gazed  slowly  around  the  family  group,  hti 
noticed  Miss  Jacqueline  Ralston's  haughty  ex- 
pression and  Miss  Ruth  Drew's  severe  one; 
saw  Olive's  troubled  face  and  Jean's  mis- 
chievous one.  "  I  guess  I  had  better  be  going/' 
Jim  suggested,  backing  toward  the  door. 

"Oh,  no,  Jim,"  Jack  insisted  carelessly. 
"There  is  nothing  the  matter,  only  Cousin 
Ruth  does  not  wish  me  to  go  to  the  round-up 
with  you  in  the  morning.  Will  you  please 
tell  her  that  cowboys  aren't  all  villains!" 

Jim  frowned.  "  If  your  Cousin  don't  want 
you  to  go,  Jack,  seems  like  you  had  better  stay 
at  home,"  he  declared  quietly. 

A  little  flush  of  triumph  spread  over  Ruth's 
face.  This  was  her  first  trouble  with  any  one 
of  the  ranch  girls  and  their  friend  had  sided 
with  her.  She  gave  him  a  grateful  glance, 
then  closed  her  lips  more  firmly  than  ever. 
With  any  one  of  the  four  girls  save  Jack,  she 
would  have  tried  persuasion  instead  of  com- 
mand. But  it  seemed  to  her  perfectly  useless 
to  attempt  to  influence  Jack. 

Jack  shrugged  her  shoulders.  "  I  don't 
agree  with  you,  Jim,"  she  declared  obstinately. 

Jim  brought  his  lips  together  with  a  snap 
and  stared  straight  at  the  elder  Miss  Ralston. 


WHEN  GREEK  MEETS  GREEK  199 

"Look  here,  Jack/'  he  said,  "wasn't  it  you 
who  asked  your  cousin  to  come  out  here  to  live 
with  you,  so  as  to  have  some  one  to  tell  you 
what  was  right?  Now  it  seems  to  me  that 
you  only  want  her  to  tell  you  what  you  happen 
to  want  to  do.  I  wasn't  at  all  certain  that 
you  ought  to  ride  over  to  the  round-up  with 
me,  but  I've  been  treating  you  like  a  boy  so 
long,  I  can't  somehow  remember  you're  a 
girl.  Stay  at  home  and  keep  out  of  mischief." 
Jim  laughed. 

Ruth  smiled,  thinking  the  battle  was  won, 
but  Jack  got  up  calmly  and  marched  out  of 
the  room  and  they  heard  her  bedroom  door 
close. 

"  I  am  afraid  Jack  is  kind  of  hard-headed, . 
but    you    mustn't    mind,"    Jim    murmured 
apologetically.     "  You  see  she  has  always  had 
things  pretty  much  her  own  way." 

"Oh,  let's  don't  talk  about  Jack,"  Jean 
expostulated.  "Jim,  I  have  been  telling 
Cousin  Ruth  that  it  is  perfectly  absurd  for 
her  not  to  learn  how  to  ride  horseback  and 
that  she  might  as  well  be  buried  alive  as  not 
to  know  how  to  ride  out  here  on  the  ranch. 
The  very  idea,  we  can't  go  to  return  Mrs. 
Simpson's  and  the  lovely  Laura's  call  without 


200     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

hitching  up  our  old  mess-wagon.  For 
goodness  sake,  won't  you  teach  Cousin 
Ruth  to  ride?  She  won't  be  so  scared  with 
you." 

"  Sure  Mike,"  Jim  exclaimed  heartily  and 
then  turned  a  dark  mahogany  from  embarrass- 
ment. He  had  intended  to  use  only  copy- 
book language  in  his  conversation  with  the 
new  governess. 

Ruth  was  surprised.  Jim  was  a  puzzle 
to  her,  but  there  was  no  doubt  that  he  was 
very  kind  and  very  good-looking. 

"  I  shall  be  horribly  stupid  and  nervous, 
Mr.  Colter,"  Ruth  protested,  "  but  if  you  are 
sure  you  won't  mind  the  trouble?" 

Jim  did  not  leave  the  ranch  house  until  ten 
o'clock  that  evening.  He  managed  to  have 
five  minutes  alone  with  Ruth,  after  the  girls 
said  good-night. 

"Miss  Drew,"  he  whispered,  "will  you  be 
good  enough  not  to  let  Olive  go  away  from  the 
ranch  alone?  I  came  up  to  the  Lodge  to-night 
not  knowing  whether  or  not  I  should  tell  the 
girls,  but  I  have  received  threatening  notices 
from  the  Indians  lately.  They  say  they  are 
going  to  have  the  girl  back  with  them  at  any 
cost.     I  don't  believe  they  have  any  right 


WHEN  GREEK  MEETS  GREEK  201 

to  her.  She  is  old  enough  to  be  a  free  agent, 
but  the  Indians  are  a  queer,  revengeful  lot. 
They  can  bide  their  time  and  strike  when  you 
least  expect  it." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


THE   ROUND-UP. 


TUST  after   dawn,    Olive   stole   softly   into 

Jack's  and    Jean's  bedrooms.     Jean  was 

asleep.     But  Jack's  place  was  empty.     On  her 

pillow  was   a  sheet  of   paper  addressed    to 

"  Miss  Ruth  Drew." 

Olive  alone  of  the  group  before  the  living- 
room  fire  in  the  evening  just  past,  had  real- 
ized that  Jack  had  no  idea  of  giving  up  her 
intention. 

Olive  slipped  quickly  into  her  clothes, 
determined  to  follow  her  friend.  She  was 
unusually  timid,  but  she  knew  that  Jack  must 
not  go  alone  among  the  wild  cattle  and  the 
strange  men  who  gathered  at  the  autumn 
round-up.  The  girl  had  little  knowledge  of 
what  a  round-up  was  like  but  knew  that  the 
Indians  often  went  to  it  and  camped  about  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  plains  to  enjoy  the  racing 
and  sports  that  usually  closed  the  day's 
work. 

Jack  must  have  had  about  a  half  hour's 
start  of  Olive.     She  rode  as  fast  as  she  could 

(202) 


THE  ROUND-UP  203 

tear  for  the  first  few  miles  of  the  way,  know- 
ing that  Jim  had  started  several  hours  before. 
Their  cowboys  had  been  off  over  the  plains  for 
two  days  searching  for  their  stray  cattle  and 
herding  them  into  the  great  open  field  selected 
for  the  round-up.  There  was  no  one  to  follow 
her  and  Jack  slowed  down.  Then  her  heart 
began  to  fail  her  the  least  little  bit,  for  she 
supposed  everybody  at  the  ranch  would  be 
furious  with  her  for  her  disobedience. 

Jack  heard  another  horse  coming  along  the 
trail  behind  her.  Her  repentance  vanished, 
for  she  presumed  Miss  Drew  had  sent  some  one 
to  bring  her  ignominiously  back  home. 

"Jack,  Jack,"  Olive's  gentle  voice  called. 
11  Won't  you  please  slow  down  a  little?  Your 
horse  is  faster  than  mine  and  my  poor  beast 
is  tired  already." 

Jacqueline  waited,  but  she  stared  at  Olive 
reproachfully.  "  I  did  not  think  you  would 
como  to  try  to  make  me  go  back  home,  Olive," 
Jack  exclaimed.  "  I  thought  you  knew  that 
when  I  said  I  intended  to  do  a  thing,  I  would 
do  it,  in  spite  of  all  the  Miss  Ruth  Drews  and 
Mr.  Jim  Colters  in  the  world." 

Olive  knew  that  Jack  was  behaving  abomi- 
nably but  she  could  not  help  feeling  the  deep- 


204     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

est  admiration  for  her.  To  Olive,  Jack's 
courage  and  high  spirit  were  glorious.  Olive 
was  so  shy  and  frightened;  she  had  borne  so 
much  ill  treatment  from  the  time  she  was  a 
little  girl  that  her  nature  was  almost  crushed 
and  she  could  only  contend  with  people  when 
she  was  driven  to  the  last  limit  of  patience. 
But  when  Olive  made  up  her  mind  to  a  step, 
she  had  the  Indian's  power  of  endurance. 

"  I  only  came  to  go  along  to  the  round-up 
with  you,  Jack,"  Olive  replied  quietly. 

Jack  flushed.  She  was  fairly  sure  of  being 
able  to  bear  her  own  burdens,  but  she  did 
hate  getting  other  people  into  trouble.  "  You 
are  awfully  sweet,  Olive  dear,  but  do  go  back 
home,,,  Jack  urged.  "  Jim  and  Cousin  Ruth 
will  both  be  furiously  angry  with  us  and  there 
is  no  reason  why  you  should  have  any  of  the 
blame.  You  know  you  will  hate  this  old 
round-up  and  be  dreadfully  frightened,  and 
Wiat  you  are  only  coming  on  my  account." 

Olive  shook  her  head.  "Never  mind,  Jack," 
she  answered,  "I  have  come  with  you  now 
so  I  would  have  to  get  my  share  of  the  scold- 
ing and  I  am  not  going  to  have  you  go  to 
that  place  alone."  Olive  kept  her  horse 
just  behind  Jack's  and    the  two   girls  rode 


THE  ROUND-UP  205 

for  a  short  time  in  silence.  By  and  by  Jack 
sighed. 

"What's  the  matter,  Jack?"  Olive  asked 
quickly. 

Jack  laughed  wickedly.  "Oh,  it  is  not 
that  I  have  repented  of  my  evil  deed,  Olive," 
she  returned.  "  It  is  only  that  I  am  so  dread- 
fully hungry.  I  sneaked  off  this  morning 
without  a  bit  of  food.  I  know  we  can  get 
some  lunch  at  the  mess-wagons,  or  perhaps 
we  may  find  some  one  we  know  at  the  round- 
up. But  the  question  with  me  is,  how  am  I 
ever  going  to  live  until  then?" 

Olive  silently  produced  two  rolls  with 
slices  of  bacon  between  them. 

"  I  stole  them  on  my  way  to  the  stable," 
she  announced  happily.  "  I  knew  you  hadn't 
eaten  anything  and  I  didn't  dare  to  wait." 

The  two  girls  ate  their  outdoor  breakfast 
ravenously,  for  both  were  enjoying  their 
morning  ride.  It  was  cold,  but  they  wore 
heavy  sweaters  and  corduroy  riding  skirts 
and  besides,  the  swift  ride  had  sent  the  warm 
blood  tingling  through  them.  Jack  was  in 
brown  and  Olive  in  green,  the  color  Jack 
liked  best  for  her.  The  sun  had  just  risen 
and    there  was  a  faint    rose  glow  over  the 


206     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

bare  prairies,  and  in  the  distance  the  girls 
spied  a  few  coyotes  racing  along  over  the  hard 
ground  in  search  of  their  breakfast,  but  for 
miles  and  miles  there  was  no  sign  of  human 
life. 

Finally  the  girls  rode  up  to  a  pair  of  tents 
set  up  within  no  great  distance  of  the  plain 
chosen  for  the  round-up.  There  was  a  fire 
near  one  of  them,  but  the  girls  saw  no  people 
about  and  decided  that  they  must  have  been 
used  by  the  cowboys  for  their  sleeping  quar- 
ters at  night. 

Olive  brought  her  pony  closer  to  Jack's. 

"Don't  be  nervous,  Olive/'  said  Jack 
reassuringly.  "  I  expect  the  round-up  is  a 
pretty  wild  business,  but  we  won't  go  near 
enough  to  get  into  trouble  and  you  must  be 
sure  to  stay  close  to  me.  I  shall  try  to  see 
some  one  to  ask  about  our  cattle  and  then  we 
will  start  right  back  home.  We  will  be  sure 
to  be  at  Rainbow  Lodge  by  night." 

Away  off  in  the  distance,  the  girls  soon  saw 
a  great  swirling  cloud  of  grey  dust,  rising 
over  the  yellow  plain.  They  could  distin- 
guish an  enormous  mass  of  moving  objects 
and  hear  a  far  hollow  roaring  and  bellowing 
of  men  and  animals.     To  the  left,  across  a 


THE  ROUND-UP  207 

diagonal  trail,  Jack  saw  a  dark  line  of  wagons 
at  some  distance  from  the  round-up.  She 
knew  they  were  the  mess-wagons  and  carriages 
of  the  ranchmen,  who  came  over  to  superin- 
tend the  branding  of  their  cattle.  If  the 
ranchmen  happened  to  live  near  the  scene  of 
the  round-up  their  wives  and  families  some- 
timeu  drove  over  to  spend  a  few  hours,  but 
the  women  were  careful  not  to  go  near  the 
frightened  animals  and  returned  home  before 
night. 

The  two  girls  moved  slowly  along  this  trail. 

Jack's  eyes  were  dancing  and  her  cheeks 
were  glowing  with  excitement.  She  dearly 
loved  this  typical  western  scene  and  its  noise 
and  savagery  did  not  frighten  her.  It  was  a 
part  of  the  business  of  the  cattlemen  to  which 
she  had  always  been  accustomed.  She  was 
sorry  of  course  that  the  poor  animals  had  to  be 
burned  with  the  brands  of  their  owners,  but 
since  the  cattle  ranged  together  through  vast 
tracts  of  land,  she  knew  of  no  other  way  by 
which  one  ranchman  could  distinguish  his 
cattle  from  another's.  Jack  had  been  careful 
never  to  witness  the  branding,  but  she  had 
often  seen  the  cowboys  driving  the  herds 
across  the  plains. 


208     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

But  Olive  did  not  feel  so  cheerful.  The 
distant  noise  and  the  surging  crowd  alarmed 
her.  She  wished  that  she  and  Jack  were  safe 
at  home. 

Coming  at  full  speed  down  the  trail  toward 
them,  the  two  girl;  spied  two  cowboys  wearing 
the  full  cowboy  rogalia,  leather  suits  with 
fringed  trousers  and  immense  sombrero  hats, 
tied  under  their  chins. 

"Great  Scott !"  cried  a  familiar  voice. 
"Here  come  Jack  Ralston  and  her  Indian 
girl!  What  a  place  for  a  couple  of  girls  to 
be  alone !" 

Jack's  ears  burned.  She  recognized  Dan's 
tones  but  was  not  so  much  abashed  by  meeting 
him,  as  she  was  by  Frank  Kent's  astonished 
face.  The  young  English  fellow's  surprise 
was  unmistakable. 

"Ma}^  I  stay  with  you  until  your  escort 
joins  you,  Miss  Ralston?"  Frank  asked  im- 
mediately. "  The  men  about  here  are  pretty 
rough  and  if  you  should  happen  to  get  too 
near  the  cattle  it  might  be  dangerous.  I  am 
told  they  sometimes  break  out  and  start  a 
stampede.'" 

Jack  kept  her  face  turned  away  while 
Frank    was    speaking.     She    was    actually 


THE  ROUND-UP  202 

ashamed  to  return  his  L  endly  gaze.  Frank 
had  entirely  separated  himself  from  Dan 
Norton,  who  was  grinning  scornfully  at  Olive 
and  Jack. 

"  Plea00  'Wt  worry  about  us,  Mr.  Kent," 
Jack  said  quietly,  u  Wo  won't  get  into  danger. 
I  don't  exactly  like  to  tell  you,  but  we  rode 
over  to  the  round-up  by  ourselves.  You 
understand  that  we  didn't  mean  to  go  near 
the  men  or  the  cattle,  but  I  thought  wc  might 
find  some  one  we  knew  near  the  mess-wagons." 

"  Come  on,  Frank  Kent  "  Dan  Norton  yelled 
impatiently.  "  Do  you  think  I  have  got  time 
to  waste  while  you  talk  to  Jack  Ralston  all 
day?  I  told  Laura  we  would  be  back  with 
them  in  half  an  hour.     Hustle." 

Frank  Kent's  face  was  no  longer  pale,  as  it 
had  been  when  Jack  had  her  first  meeting 
with  him  on  the  Ralston  Ranch.  It  had  been 
tanned  and  reddened  by  his  weeks  in  the  sun 
and  air  of  Wyoming,  but  that  did  not  ac- 
count for  the  sudden  color  that  flamed  in  it. 
"  Be  quiet,  Dan,  you  cad,"  he  ordered  sharply. 
uryz  when  you  like,  I  shall  stay  with  Miss 
Ralston  and  her  friend." 

"  I  say,  Miss  Ralston,"  Frank  suggested 
suddenly.     "Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simpson  are  not 

14 


210     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

very  far  away.  They  came  over  in  their 
automobile,  because  Mrs.  Simpson  thought 
maybe  her  sister  and  niece  would  like  to  see 
the  cowboys  from  the  different  ranches  ride 
up  to  their  work.  Gee,  they  are  stunning- 
looking  fellows,  aren't  they?  I  wish  I  were 
an  artist,  I  would  like  to  paint  them.  Won't 
you  come  over  to  Mrs.  Simpson  with  me? 
They  are  well  out  of  any  danger  and  I  know 
Mrs.  Simpson  would  want  you  and  Miss  Olive 
to  join  her." 

An  unregenerate  twinkle  returned  to  Jack's 
eyes.  "To  tell  you  the  truth,  Mr.  Kent,  1 
would  like  awfully  to  go  over  and  stay  with 
Aunt  Sallie.  Olive  and  I  feel  very  strange 
here  alone,  but  the  fact  is  I  deliberately  ran 
away  from  home  to  come  to  the  round-up 
and  Olive  rode  along  to  protect  me.  I  am 
ashamed  to  confess  my  sin  to  Mrs.  Simpson." 

"Nevertheless  you  had  better  come," 
Frank  urged,  and  for  once,  Jack  yielded  to 
another  will. 

It  might  have  been  wiser  to  have  turned 
back  home  than  to  have  faced  Aunt  Sallie 
and  her  Eastern  relatives,  but  Jack  and 
Olive  could  not  have  ridden  to  Rainbow 
Lodge  without  having  something  more  to  eat. 


THE  ROUND-UP  211 

Olive  already  seemed  exhausted.  She  was 
quite  pale  and  scarcely  lifted  her  eyes.  Jack 
knew  that  Olive  hated  to  meet  the  members 
of  the  house  party,  whom  she  had  not  seen 
since  the  time  when  she  was  rescued  from 
being  Miss  Laura  Post's  maid. 

"Jack  Ralston,  the  most  unlikely  place  in 
the  world  is  the  most  likely  place  to  find  you, " 
Mrs.  Simpson  exclaimed  laughingly,  as  Frank 
and  the  two  newcomers  rode  up  to  her  big 
touring  car.  "What  in  the  world  are  you 
girls  doing  here?" 

"Shall  I  tell  the  whole  truth  and  nothing 
but  the  truth,  Aunt  Sallie?"  Jack  demanded, 
smiling  at  Mrs.  Simpson  and  bowing  to  Mrs. 
Post,  Laura  and  Mr.  Simpson.  Mrs.  Post 
put  up  her  lorgnettes,  as  though  she  were  in 
a  box  at  the  opera,  to  gaze  at  these  extra- 
ordinary girls.  Their  clothes  were  dusty  and 
their  hair  showed  the  effects  of  their  long, 
morning  ride,  but  turning,  Mrs.  Post  beheld 
her  beloved  Laura  swathed  in  a  pale  pink 
motor  veil  and  a  long  fur  coat,  and  breathed 
a  sigh  of  admiration  and  relief.  Surely  her 
Laura  was  not  in  the  least  like  these  Western 
tomboys ! 

Mrs.     Simpson    shrugged    her    handsome 


212     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

shoulders.  "  Well,  you  usually  tell  the  truth, 
whatever  else  you  do  and  don't  do,  Jack," 
Mrs.  Simpson  avowed.  "  I  know  you  have 
run  off,  so  just  stay  here  and  have  lunch 
with  me." 

Mrs.  Simpson  was  talking  to  Jack,  but  she 
was  really  interested  in  Olive.  How  the  girl 
had  changed,  in  the  few  weeks  since  she  had 
seen  her:  she  had  always  been  pretty,  but 
she  had  lost  her  look  of  fear.  Her  grace  and 
quiet  manner  showed  beyond  a  doubt  that 
from  some  source  she  had  a  heritage  of  gentle 
blood.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simpson  shook  hands 
with  Olive  very  kindly,  but  Mrs.  Post  and 
Laura  utterly  ignored  her.  Olive  showed  no 
resentment,  but  Jack  was  exceedingly  pro- 
voked. 

The  girls  dismounted  and  climbed  into  the 
automobile.  Now  and  then  groups  of  cow- 
boys would  pass  by  them,  jingling  their  spurs 
and  joking  with  one  another.  Olive  recog- 
nized a  number  of  Indian  boys,  who  had 
lived  in  the  Indian  village,  where  she  had 
been  brought  up.  Among  them,  she  thought 
she  saw  old  Laska's  son  and  her  supposed 
brother,  Josef. 

Mrs.    Simpson    was    worried    over    Dan's 


THE  ROUND-UP  213 

return  to  their  party.  She  and  Mr.  Simpson, 
and  indeed  all  the  ranchmen  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, now  knew  of  Mr.  Daniel  Norton's  claim 
to  the  ownership  of  Rainbow  Ranch,  and  his 
efforts  to  get  it  away  from  the  ranch  girls. 
Most  of  the  neighbors  deeply  sympathized 
with  the  Ralston  girls.  Mrs.  Simpson  dreaded 
a  meeting  between  Jack  and  Dan.  She 
knew  they  were  open  enemies  and  hated  each 
other  very  sincerely. 

But  when  Dan  joined  them,  Jack  showed  no 
trace  of  ill  feeling.  She  had  thought  matters 
over  and  decided  that  good  manners  com- 
pelled her  to  behave  as  naturally  as  possible. 
She  had  no  right  to  continue  a  quarrel,  when 
she  and  Dan  were  both  guests. 

Dan  Norton  was  in  no  such  humor.  He 
was  furious  with  Frank  for  having  brought 
Jack  and  Olive  to  Mrs.  Simpson,  and  he  was 
determined  to  get  even  with  Jack,  if  he  pos- 
sibly could,  for  Jim's  treatment  of  him  at 
their  last  meeting. 

Mrs.  Simpson  had  an  early  lunch,  since  they 
meant  to  return  to  their  ranch  in  a  short  time. 
The  tablecloth  was  spread  out  on  the  ground, 
and  unconsciously  she  placed  Laura  and  Dan 
next  Olive,  who  made  no  effort  to  speak  to 


214     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

them.  But  Dan  whispered  something  to 
Laura,  immediately  they  got  up  and  march- 
ing to  the  other  end  of  the  line  of  guests,  sat 
down  directly  opposite  Jack  and  Frank. 

Nobody  had  much  to  say.     To  save  her 
life,  Jack  could  not  talk  naturally  with  Dan'g 
sneering  face  across  from  her.     Mr.  and  Mrs 
Simpson  did  their  best,  but  the  luncheon  party 
was  a  failure. 

Dan  was  awaiting  his  opportunity. 

"Jack,"  Mr.  Simpson  remarked  innocently, 
"Jim  Colter  tells  me  that  you  have  recently 
been  losing  some  of  your  cattle  and  young 
colts.  He  says  that  they  disappear  from  your 
ranch,  and  when  they  are  seen  again  they 
have  the  brand  of  another  owner  on  them, 
That  is  a  pretty  bad  business.  Have  you 
any  idea  who  is  responsible  for  the  trouble?" 

Jack  shook  her  head  desperately.  She  was 
determined  to  say  nothing  that  could  make 
any  trouble.  "No,  Mr.  Simpson,  we  don't 
know.  That  is,  it  don't  make  any  difference. 
Perhaps  we  are  mistaken,"  she  answered 
lamely. 

Mr.  Simpson  was  puzzled  by  Jack's  manner. 
There  was  an  awkward  silence. 

Dan  leaned  over  and  whispered  to  Laura  in 


THE  ROUND-UP  215 

a  tone  that  could  be  distinctly  heard,  not  only 
by  Jack  and  Frank,  but  by  every  member  of 
the  small  company.  "  I  shouldn't  think  Jack 
Ralston  would  worry  about  losing  a  few  of  her 
old  cattle.  She  is  going  to  lose  something  else 
pretty  soon,  that  is  a  good  deal  more  impor- 
tant." 

Laura  snickered  nervously.  She  caught 
sight  of  Jack's  face. 

Mrs.  Simpson  frowned  and  glanced  hastily 
at  Jack.  Mr.  Simpson's  eyes  flashed  and  he 
too  watched  his  young  girl  guest.  Jack  was 
distinctly  conscious  that  everybody  in  the 
party  stared  straight  at  her  when  Dan  ended 
his  insulting  speech. 

Jack  felt  herself  turn  cold  all  over.  Only 
her  face  was  scorching  hot.  Half  a  dozen 
angry  retorts  trembled  on  her  lips.  She 
started  to  speak,  but  then  she  turned  to 
Frank  and  said  quietly.  "Won't  you  tell 
me  something  more  about  your  home  in 
England?     I  am  awfully  interested." 

Mrs.  Simpson  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief. 
Only  Laura  seemed  disappointed.  There  was 
nothing  she  loved  half  so  well  as  a  scene  and 
she  fondly  believed  Dan  and  Jack  meant  to 
treat  her  to  one. 


216      RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Ten  minutes  later,  Jack  went  over  to  Mrs. 
Simpson.  "  Aunt  Sallie,  I  think  Olive  and  I 
had  better  start  back  to  the  ranch  now.  Yr>u 
were  awfully  good  to  give  us  our  luncheon, 
but  we  ought  to  be  at  home  by  dark." 

Mrs.  Simpson  caught  Jack's  hand.  "You 
were  a  trump,  Jack  dear/7  she  whispered. 
"  I  would  like  to  shake  that  red-headed  boy 
if  I  had  a  chance  at  him,  but  I  believe  some- 
body else  will  when  you  go." 

Jack  smiled,  though  her  voice  trembled  a 
little.  "  I  don't  think  Dan  and  I  ought  to 
carry  on  our  quarrels  at  your  table,  Aunt 
Same,"  she  answered.  "But  you  know  if 
he  says  anything  like  that  to  me  again,  I 
should  die  if  I  didn't  answer  him  back.  So, 
good-bye." 

Jacqueline  bowed  her  farewells  and  she  and 
Olive  started  toward  their  ponies. 

Frank  Kent  had  a  moment  alone  with  Dan. 

"  Dan  Norton,  you  have  got  to  settle  with 
me  for  that  speech,  you  cub, "  he  insisted,  in  a 
white  passion  of  anger  that  startled  his  host. 

Dan  thought  Frank  too  much  of  a  gentle- 
man to  be  willing  to  fight. 

"All  right,"  he  rejoined  calmly,  "choose 
your  own  time." 


THE  ROUND-UP  217 

Half  way  over  to  their  horses,  Frank  joined 
Olive  and  Jack. 

"  I  am  going  to  ride  back  to  your  ranch  with 
you,  Miss  Ralston, "  Frank  announced  quietly. 

Olive  looked  relieved,  but  Jack  shook  her 
head  firmly. 

"You  are  awfully  good,  Mr.  Kent,"  Jack 
protested.  "But  really  Olive  and  I  can  go 
home  perfectly  well  alone.  We  would  rather 
not  trouble  you." 

Frank  assisted  Olive  on  her  broncho  and 
then  climbed  into  his  own  saddle,  Jack  being 
already  mounted. 

"  Mr.  Simpson  thinks  I  had  better  go  home 
with  you,"  Frank  repeated  carelessly.  "And 
I  think  you  might  let  me  act  as  an  honorary 
escort,  because  in  case  you  don't  I  shall  simply 
ride  along  behind  you." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A   RACE   FOE   LIFE. 

TACK,  don't  you  think  we  are  going  too 
near  the  corrals  ?"  Olive  inquired  timidly. 

It  was  high  noon.  The  cattle  had  been 
brought  by  the  cowbo}^  into  the  open  field 
and  each  ranchman  had  divided  his  own 
stock  from  the  herds.  The  animals  had  been 
driven  into  the  corrals,  separate  enclosures 
made  of  fence  rails,  one  belonging  to  each  of 
the  neighboring  ranches.  In  the  afternoon 
the  branding  of  the  cattle  took  place,  but 
most  of  the  cowboys  had  now  gone  off  to  get 
something  to  eat  before  the  real  business  of 
the  day  began.  Only  a  dozen  men  guarded 
the  entire  stockade. 

"Oh,  no,  Olive,"  Jack  answered  lightly. 
"  I  believe,  if  we  ride  a  little  closer,  we  may 
get  some  news  of  Jim.  I  would  like  to  see 
him  to  ask  him  some  questions,  before  we 
start  back  home."  Jack  rode  gaily  ahead, 
forgetting  her  disagreeable  scene  with  Dan 
Norton.  The  swarming  hundreds  of  cows  and 
calves,   the  bright   sunshine,   the  brilliantly 

(218) 


A  RACE  FOR  LIFE  219 

blue  sky  overhead,  the  noise  Mid  splendid 
action  of  the  scene  interested  her  tremen- 
dously. 

"  I  think  Miss  Olive  is  right,  Miss  Ralston, " 
Frank  insisted  gravely.  "  We  must  not  ride 
too  near  the  stock,  for  fear  of  a  stampede. " 

"  Just  a  few  feet  more,"  Jack  begged,  turn- 
ing half  way  around  in  her  saddle  to  glance 
back  at  Olive  and  Frank. 

At  this  moment  an  immense  bull  burst  out 
of  one  of  the  corrals  and  made  a  wild  dash 
across  an  open  field.  He  was  not  headed 
toward  Jack,  or  Olive,  or  Frank,  and  there 
did  not  appear  to  be  the  least  danger. 

Two  of  the  cowboys  made  a  rush  to  cut  off 
the  bull's  charge  but  turned  back  a  moment 
later  to  their  companions.  It  was  more  im- 
portant for  the  men  to  keep  the  other  animals 
from  following  their  leader,  than  to  recapture 
the  one  infuriated  beast. 

Jim  Colter  had  warned  Jacqueline,  when 
he  first  gave  her  the  new  pony,  that  "  Tricks" 
was  well  named.  He  had  told  her  that  she 
would  have  to  watch  the  little  animal  pretty 
closely,  but  Jack  was  a  trained  rider  and  so 
far  the  mare  had  not  given  her  any  trouble. 
She  had  not  realized,  when  she  came  to  the 


220     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

round-up,  that  "Tricks"  was  one  of  the 
ponies  that  had  been  formerly  used  by  the 
cow-punchers  at  the  round-ups. 

Tricks  saw  the  bull  break  away  from  the 
stockade  and  make  its  plunge  for  freedom  at 
the  moment  that  Jack  turned  her  head  and 
slightly  relaxed  her  hold  on  the  broncho's 
bridle. 

The  pony's  fighting  blood  was  up.  She  did 
not  intend  to  see  a  bull  escape  when  it  was  her 
business  as  a  cowboy's  pony,  to  head  him  off 
and  turn  him  back  toward  the  herd.  She  made 
a  leap  forward,  running  diagonally  across  the 
plain,  in  order  to  cross  in  front  of  the  bull  at 
the  shortest  possible  distance.  For  the  first 
time  in  her  experience,  Jack  Ralston  com- 
pletely lost  control  of  the  horse  she  was 
riding;  the  pony's  headlong  rush  had  been  too 
unexpected.  Tricks  was  a  good-sized  broncho 
with  a  will  of  her  own  and  was  convinced  that 
she  was  doing  her  duty. 

Jack  had  unfortunately  taken  off  her 
gloves.  People  in  the  West  never  ride  the 
hard-mouthed  little  Western  ponies,  without 
thick  leather  gauntlets.  She  pulled  on  her 
reins  until  they  cut  into  her  flesh,  but  the 
pony  ran  on.     Still  Jack  had  no  idea  of  not 


A  RACE  FOR  LIFE  221 

being  able  to  control  her  before  she  got  into 
danger. 

No  one,  except  Frank  and  Olive,  saw  Jack's 
wild  dash.  The  cowboys  were  riding  in  and 
out  among  the  corrals,  swinging  their  long 
ropes  and  forcing  the  excited  cattle  back  into 
their  enclosures. 

"Get  back  out  of  the  way,"  Frank  com- 
manded Olive  quickly.  Almost  before  she 
realized  what  had  taken  place,  Frank  Kent 
was  off  like  a  shot  after  the  flying  Jack. 

His  horse  pounded  along,  but  Jack  was 
yards  ahead-  Frank  did  not  know  what  he 
could  do,  if  he  reached  Jack.  He  could  only 
grasp  her  bridle  and  try  to  stop  both  of  their 
ponies.  At  best,  if  he  got  ahead  of  her,  he 
might  be  able  to  shut  off  the  bull's  mad  charge. 
There  would  be  only  one  way  to  do  it  and  that 
would  be  to  let  the  animal  rush  upon  his 
horse.  He  knew  nothing  of  the  cowboys' 
methods.  He  had  no  lasso.  He  had  seen 
pictures  of  Spanish  toreadors  with  their 
flaming  scarlet  scarfs.  If  he  only  had  as 
much  as  a  red  handkerchief,  perhaps  he  might 
divert  the  bull's  course.  Of  course  Frank 
realized  that  this  would  have  been  a  forlorn 
hope.     But  nothing  really  mattered.     Jack's 


222     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

pony  continued  to  gain  on  his;  he  had  not  a 
fighting  chance  of  overtaking  her. 

Frank  hardly  dared  look  at  Jack.  He  could 
see  so  clearly  what  would  happen :  the  range- 
bred  pony  would  take  her  straight  in  front  of 
the  furious  bull,  not  knowing  that  her  rider 
was  not  a  cowboy  and  would  be  unequal  tcr 
the  task  of  turning  the  great  brute  aside.  She 
would  do  her  part  and  expected  Jack  to  do 
the  rest.  Jack  did  not  have  so  much  as  a 
small  riding  whip  in  her  hand,  having  lost 
it  in  her  pony's  first  plunge  ahead.  But  she 
now  realized  her  peril;  one  glimpse  of  her  face 
would  have  revealed  this.  It  was  white  as 
marble  save  for  the  flying,  bronze  gold  of  her 
hair.  Her  eyes  were  wide  open  and  almost 
black  and  her  lips  were  parted.  But  there 
was  no  give-up  in  her  expression;  determina- 
tion marked  every  fine  cut  line. 

Jack  had  considered  but  two  alternatives. 
Either  she  must  stop  her  wild  pony  or  drive 
back  the  maddened  bull.  Now  she  knew  she 
could  do  neither.  She  was  only  a  few  yards 
from  the  bull  and  understood  that  an  animal 
in  a  wild  rush  for  liberty,  never  turns  aside 
unless  he  is  driven. 

Half  unconsciously  Frank  Kent  closed  h** 


A  RACE  FOR  LIFE  223 

eyes.  Jacqueline  Ralston  had  seemed  to  him 
so  splendid,  typifying  to  him  the  free,  out- 
door life  of  the  great  West.  He  realized  that 
Jack  had  lots  of  faults,  but  that  she  was  the 
kind  of  girl  who  would  make  a  wonderful 
woman.  She  was  a  true  American  girl,  brave, 
generous  and  gay.  The  thought  of  her  being 
injured,  or  killed,  was  horrible.  She  was  the 
very  spirit  of  youth  and  energy. 

Frank  looked  again.  Jack  was  going  to 
face  death  squarely,  or  else  to  drive  her  pony 
across  the  bull's  course,  before  it  reached  her. 
Yet  the  last  method  seemed  hopeless,  because 
the  pony  was  master  of  the  race,  not  Jack. 
The  girl  had  stooped  low  in  her  saddle.  Her 
feet  were  out  of  the  stirrups  and  she  lay  almost 
flat  across  the  pony's  back.  She  seemed  to 
slip  to  one  side.  Frank  watched  for  another 
horrified  second.  Jack  and  her  horse  were 
not  a  hundred  feet  from  the  bull. 

Then  something  slid  along  the  ground 
on  the  right  side  of  the  pony,  ran  a  few  feet, 
let  go  of  the  bridle  and  sat  down  limply  in  the 
brown  grass. 

Frank  shouted  as  he  had  never  thought 
it  in  him  to  shout.  The  trick  of  dropping 
from  her  horse  that  Jack  had  just  effected, 


224     KANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

he  had  seen  accomplished  once  in  a  Buffalo 
Bill  show  in  London.  The  vision  of  a  girl 
doing  it  for  her  own  safety  was  the  most 
thrilling  sight  he  had  ever  seen  in  his  life. 

Tricks,  deserted  by  her  rider,  and  uncertain 
what  she  should  do  alone,  sprang  to  one  side 
as  the  bull  lunged  at  her,  and  the  danger  was 
all  over  in  an  instant. 

Frank  found  Jack  shaking  like  one  in 
a  chill.  But  she  smiled  at  him  bravely  and 
put  out  her  hand  to  let  him  pull  her  off  the 
ground. 

"Perhaps,  Frank, "  she  said,  forgetting 
formalities  in  her  thankfulness,  "if  I  live 
long  enough,  I  may  some  day  learn  to  do  what 
I  am  told.     Please  take  me  back  to  Olive. " 

Tricks,  exhausted  by  her  wild  run,  was  led 
back  to  Jack,  a  weary  and  repentant  pony. 

Jack  was  silent  and  shaken.  She  followed 
Frank  back  to  the  spot  where  they  had  left 
Olive,  without  a  word. 

The  cowboys  were  returning  to  the  work 
of  branding  the  cattle  and  it  was  high  time 
the  ranch  girls  started  for  home.  But 
neither  Jack  nor  Frank  could  find  a  trace  of 
Olive.  She  had  completely  disappeared. 
They  rode  over  to  the  spot  wiere  they  had 


A  RACE  FOR  LIFE  225 

lunched  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simpson,  but  the 
automobile  party  had  left  for  their  ranch. 
Frank  inquired  of  a  dozen  cowboys.  No  one 
of  them  had  seen  Olive. 

Jack  tried  not  to  cry,  but  the  day's  experi- 
ences had  been  too  much  for  her.  She  had 
never  been  so  utterly  wretched  before. 

"  Don't  worry,  Miss  Ralston/'  Frank  urged. 
"  I'll  bet  you  anything  that  Miss  Olive  has 
run  across  your  overseer,  Jim  Colter,  and  has 
returned  to  Rainbow  Ranch  with  him." 

Jack  shook  her  head  despairingly.  "Olive 
would  not  go  away  without  telling  me,  for 
anything  in  the  world,"  she  insisted.  "Be- 
sides, Jim  would  not  leave  me  here.  He  is 
somewhere  around,  won't  you  find  him?" 

Frank  insisted  that  Jack  wait  in  a  place 
of  safety  a  mile  farther  along  the  trail  toward 
their  ranch.  For  an  hour  Jack  walked  up  and 
down  a  few  yards  of  barren  ground,  her  pony 
resting  near  her.   The  time  seemed  an  eternity. 

By  and  by  Frank  arrived  with  Jim  Colter. 
Jim  looked  sternly  at  Jack,  but  she  was  past 
caring  what  he  said  or  thought  of  her. 

"  Can't  you  find  Olive,  Jim?"  Jack  pleaded. 

"I'll  do  my  best,"  Jim  returned.  "Mr. 
Kent  will  take  you  home  to  the  ranch." 

15 


226     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

"But  I  can't  go  without  Olive,  Jim.  I'll 
stay  here  until  you  find  her.  She  has  probably 
just  lost  her  way."  Jack  entreated. 

"Hope  so,"  Jim  repeated  shortly.  "But 
in  any  case,  your  place  is  at  home." 

Jack  hesitated. 

"Haven't  you  made  enough  trouble  for 
yourself  and  other  people  already  to-day, 
Jack?"  Jim  questioned  keenly.  And  Jack 
submissively  bowed  her  head. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

NO   NEWS. 

"II7EEKS  passed  and  there  was  no  word  from 
Olive.  The  ranch  girls  had  almost 
ceased  to  talk  of  her  return.  They  had  begun 
to  lose  hope. 

Immediately  after  Frank  Kent  and  Jack 
left  him,  on  the  day  of  the  round-up,  Jim 
Colter  had  gone  to  the  Indian  village,  but  he 
could  find  no  trace  of  Olive  there.  Curiously 
enough  old  Laska  had  disappeared  from  her 
hut  several  days  before,  so  she  could  scarcely 
be  held  responsible  for  the  lost  girl.  She  had 
said  nothing  of  where  she  was  going  nor 
when  she  expected  to  return.  In  Indian 
fashion,  she  had  departed  silently,  carry- 
ing only  a  bundle  strapped  across  her  back. 

Josef  would  give  no  information.  Jim 
tried  him  with  threats  and  bribes,  but  the 
boy  insisted  he  knew  nothing  of  Olive.  He 
had  not  seen  her  in  many  weeks.  It  was 
useless  to  try  to  make  an  Indian  betray  a 
secret  he  meant  to  keep  and  Jim  Colter  knew 
better  than  to  waste  his  time.     The  Indian  ie 

(227) 


228     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

as  suspicious  and  reticent  to-day  as  he  was 
in  the  old  days,  when  no  kind  of  torture  ever 
wrung  a  sound  from  him. 

Advertisements  were  inserted  in  the  papers 
in  the  nearby  towns,  but  no  girl  answering 
to  the  description  of  Olive  was  ever  reported. 
She  had  vanished  as  completely  as  though 
she  were  dead.  By  and  by  Jim  Colter  gave 
up  the  search.  He  did  not  believe  that  they 
would  ever  see  the  Indian  girl  again. 

Frank  Kent  kept  quietly  at  work.  He 
was  very  rich,  and  without  a  word  to  anyone, 
offered  a  reward  for  Olive's  return,  so  large 
that  had  Laska  seen  it  and  had  she  had  Olive 
in  her  possession,  she  must  surely  have  given 
her  up.  Frank  came  often  to  Rainbow  Lodge. 
The  girls  no  longer  thought  of  him  as  the  guest 
and  relative  of  their  bitterest  enemy,  and  the 
name  of  the  Nortons  was  never  mentioned 
between  them.  He  used  to  take  Jean  and 
Frieda  and  Cousin  Ruth  off  on  long  excursions 
to  keep  them  amused,  but  Jack  would  rarely 
go  with  them.  She  seldom  left  the  ranch  and 
spent  the  greater  part  of  the  time  alone,  re- 
fusing to  talk  either  of  Olive  or  the  prospect 
of  losing  Rainbow  Ranch,  which  loomed 
nearer   with   each   passing   day.     Jack   was 


NO  NEWS  229 

polite  to  Cousin  Ruth,  but  she  never  expressed 
any  penitence  to  her  or  to  Jim  for  her  wil- 
fulness, which  seemed  to  be  responsible  for 
Olive's  loss.  But  daily  Jack  grew  paler  and 
thinner.  She  seemed  much  older  and  quieter 
than  the  radiant  beautiful  girl  who  had  been 
the  ruling  spirit  of  the  entire  ranch.  Every- 
one who  knew  her  worried  over  the  change  in 
her,  and  most  of  all  Ruth,  who  wondered  if 
she  were  not  somehow  to  blame  for  the  whole 
disaster.  If  she  had  not  opposed  Jack's 
going  to  the  round-up,  Jim  would  have  taken 
Jack  with  him  and  Olive  would  not  have 
left  the  Lodge. 

Jean  and  Frieda  bore  their  troubles  differ- 
ently. Sometimes  they  would  talk  of  Olive 
and  again  of  the  loss  of  their  home  and  Jean 
would  weep  passionately  for  a  few  minutes 
and  Frieda  would  cry  softly.  But  they 
would  soon  cheer  up  and  be  convinced  of 
Olive's  immediate  return  and  the  discovery 
of  the  lost  deed  to  the  ranch.  Jean  even 
suggested  that  they  need  not  perish  if  the 
ranch  w^ere  taken  away  from  them.  She 
was  quite  sure  she  would  be  able  to  work 
and  support  herself  and  possibly  Frieda. 
And  for  once  Jack  laughed,  for,  as  she  ex- 


230     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

plained  to  her  cousin,  she  and  Jean  knew 
nothing  in  the  world  except  how  to  ride 
horseback,  and  ranch  girls  though  they  were, 
they  could  hardly  be  expected  to  join  a  circus. 

But  no  one  interfered  with  Jack.  She  took 
her  long  rides  alone  in  spite  of  the  cold  weather, 
for  they  seemed  to  be  the  only  things  that 
would  quiet  her  restlessness.  When  she  was 
in  the  house,  she  was  either  searching  in  every 
conceivable  crack  and  corner  for  the  lost  title 
deed,  or  else  gazing  listlessly  out  of  the  win- 
dow. 

One  clear,  frosty  morning,  Jack  came  in  to 
an  early  breakfast,  wearing  her  riding  habit. 

"You  won't  mind  if  I  am  away  from  the 
ranch  all  day  to-day,  Cousin  Ruth?"  she 
inquired  quietly.  "I  would  rather  not  say 
where  I  am  going,  but  I  shall  be  in  no  danger 
and  I  shall  be  home  before  dark." 

Jean  waved  her  fork  pettishly  in  the  air. 
"  What  in  the  world  are  you  up  to,  Jacqueline 
Ralston?"  she  demanded.  "Frieda  and  I 
awfully  wanted  you  to  go  over  to  Aunt  SalhVs 
for  the  day  with  us.  You  knew  she  had 
asked  us  and  Cousin  Ruth  can't  go,  because 
she  won't  learn  to  ride  horseback.  I  should 
think  you  would  be  tired  of  mysteries  and 


NO  NEWS  231 

secrets  by  this  time,  I  am  sure  I  am.  Rain- 
bow Lodge  didn't  use  to  be  like  this.  It  is 
the  most  changed  place  I  ever  saw,"  Jean 
sighed  mournfully.  But  Jack  made  her  no 
answer  and  waited  until  Ruth  agreed  to  her 
request. 

By  ten  o'clock,  Ruth  Drew  was  alone  at  the 
Lodge.  The  day  began  early  at  the  ranch, 
as  the  winter  twilights  soon  closed  in  and 
there  were  no  lights  but  the  stars  to  guide 
the  wanderers  over  the  prairies. 

Ruth  had  assured  the  girls  she  would  nor 
be  lonely.  She  had  lots  of  work  to  do  and 
letters  to  be  written  to  the  people  at  home. 
But  somehow  Ruth  did  not  feel  in  the  mood 
for  any  of  her  tasks.  She  was  astonished  at 
herself.  Already  the  old  village  life  in  the 
East  seemed  far  away;  Rainbow  Lodge  and 
the  vast,  primitive  West  meant  home  to  her 
now. 

Outdoors  the  world  looked  utterly  deserted. 
There  was  not  a  leaf,  nor  a  blade  of  green 
grass  visible,  not  a  human  being,  nor  an  animal 
in  sight,  except  old  Shep,  who  howled  dis- 
mally at  having  been  left  at  home  by  the 
ranch  girls. 

Ruth  slipped  into  a  heavy  old  coat  and  went 


232     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

for  a  walk  up  and  down  the  frozen  fields  in 
front  of  Rainbow  Lodge.  Old  Shep  kept 
close  beside  her,  with  his  warm  nose  thrust 
in  her  hand.  There  were  many  things  Ruth 
wished  to  think  about  and  it  would  be  easier 
to  see  clearly  and  to  know  what  was  best  in 
the  open  air. 

Ruth  was  exceedingly  vexed  with  the  over- 
seer of  Rainbow  Ranch.  What  was  to  be- 
come of  Frieda,  Jean  and  Jack,  in  case  they 
were  forced  to  give  up  their  home  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  New  Year?  Jack  had  confided 
to  Ruth  that  they  owned  six  thousand 
dollars  in  bank,  beside  the  stock  on  their 
place.  But  Jack  had  no  ideas  for  their  future, 
and  Mr.  Jim  Colter  had  not  seen  fit  to  discuss 
with  their  chaperon  any  plans  that  he  might 
have  for  the  girls.  Of  one  thing  Ruth  was 
determined,  whatever  happened,  she  would 
stay  with  the  girls.  She  had  a  little  money 
and  she  could  earn  her  living  as  a  teacher  if 
it  were  necessary,  but  the  ranch  girls  should 
not  face  the  world  alone.  Nevertheless,  Mr. 
Colter  should  explain  affairs  to  her  more 
fully.  It  was  all  very  well  for  him  to  argue 
that  Rainbow  Ranch  could  not  fall  into  other 
hands.     He  should  look  at  both  sides  of  tJ^> 


NO  NEWS  233 

question.  Ruth  had  not  seen  the  overseer, 
except  for  a  few  minutes  at  a  time,  since  the 
evening  before  the  round-up.  He  certainly 
had  not  treated  her  with  proper  respect. 

The  longer  Miss  Ruth  Drew  thought  of  her 
grievances,  the  angrier  she  grew.  Of  course 
there  was  nothing  personal  in  the  matter,  but 
as  the  girls'  chaperon,  she  deserved  more 
consideration. 

Ruth's  cheeks  were  glowing  by  this  time, 
partly  from  the  cold  air,  but  quite  as  much 
from  temper.  She  had  changed  a  good  deal. 
Her  complexion  was  certainly  not  sallow. 
She  no  longer  wore  her  glasses,  except  when 
she  wished  to  read,  and  her  smooth  hair  was 
now  blowing  becomingly  about  her  face  under 
an  old  felt  hat  of  Jean's  carelessly  put  on. 

But  Ruth  was  not  being  altogether  honest 
with  herself;  she  did  have  a  little  private 
spite  against  Jim.  He  had  promised  to 
teach  her  to  ride  horseback  weeks  before  and 
he  had  never  referred  to  the  subject  again. 
She  dearly  wished  to  learn.  She  had  wanted 
to  ride  over  to  return  Mrs.  Simpson's  call  and 
had  only  pretended  an  indifference  to  Jean, 
because  she  did  not  intend  in  any  way  to 
remind  Mr.  Colter  of  his  forgotten  promise. 


234     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Ruth  saw  Jim  riding  up  the  road  that  led 
to  the  Lodge  and  drawing  herself  up,  gave 
him  a  stiff  little  bow.  Of  course  she  had 
known  all  along  that  a  cowTboy  could  not  be 
a  gentleman,  but  Jim  had  struck  her  as  being 
rather  superior,  in  spite  of  his  bad  grammar. 
However,  no  man  worth  the  name  broke  a 
promise  to  a  woman.  Ruth  turned  her  back 
on  the  rider  and  continued  her  walk  with  her 
head  in  the  air. 

Jim  reined  up  in  front  of  the  frosty  young 
woman.  "  Good  morning,"  he  said  in  rather 
an  embarrassed  fashion. 

The  lady's  manner  was  not  encouraging. 
"  Good  morning,"  she  repeated  severely,  "  I 
suppose  you  wanted  to  see  one  of  the  girls,  but 
they  are  all  away  from  the  ranch." 

Jim  shook  his  head  slowly,  staring  at  Miss 
Ruth  Drew  with  a  puzzled  frown.  He  had 
not  the  faintest  idea  why  she  was  so  haughty, 
and  clearing  his  throat,  continued  to  stare 
at  her  without  a  word  until  the  silence  grew 
more  and  more  embarrassing. 

Ruth's  cheeks  grew  redder.  Hhe  was 
irritated  by  Jim's  silence  and  the  expression 
of  his  eyes,  which  were  as  blue  and  direct  as 
a  young  boy's*. 


NO  NEWS  235 

"  Do  you  want  to  leave  a  message  for  one 
of  the  girls  or  to  speak  to  Aunt  Ellen  or  Zack?" 
Ruth  inquired  irritably. 

But  still  Jim  did  not  speak. 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  tell  me,  what  do  you 
want,  Mr.  Colter?"  Ruth  demanded.  And 
suddenly  Jim  laughed. 

"Well,  I  thought  I  wanted  to  speak  to 
you,  Miss  Drew,"  he  drawled  in  his  slow, 
good-humored  fashion.  "  But  perhaps  I  had 
better  not.  I  kind  of  thought  maybe  you 
would  like  me  to  give  you  a  riding  lesson  this 
morning,  but  I  can  see  now  you  wouldn't. 
I  have  been  trying  to  get  one  of  the  ranch 
ponies  broke  in  for  you  ever  since  I  heard  you 
wanted  to  learn  to  ride  and  now  I  have  got 
a  little  broncho  that  is  just  about  as  gentle 
as  a  kitten.  But,  so  long,  maybe  you'll  be 
feeling  more  like  it  another  day." 

Jim  rode  calmly  .  ~ray,  leaving  Ruth  look- 
ing as  young  and  foolish  as  a  cross  child. 

She  did  want  a  horseback  lesson  to-day 
of  all  days,  when  she  was  alone  and  a  little 
blue.  Ruth  ran  after  Jim,  entirely  forgetting 
her  dignity. 

"Mr.  Colter,  please  wait,"  she  called.  "I 
do  want  to  learn  to  ride,  dreadfully,  and  I 


236     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

should  be  awfully  glad  to  have  you  show  me 
how  this  morning,  if  you  don't  think  I  would 
be  too  much  of  a  chump.' ' 

"Chump!"  Ruth's  ears  burned.  Jean's 
favorite  word,  "  chump,"  had  slipped  out  of 
her  lips  as  unconsciously  as  though  she  had 
never  been  a  New  England  school  marm  with 
a  perfect  horror  of  slang.  She  wondered  if  the 
ranch  overseer  had  noticed  her  break. 

When  Jim  turned  and  smiled  down  on  Miss 
Drew,  she  was  no  longer  the  superior  person 
he  had  just  left. 

"  You'll  learn  to  like  it  better  in  Wyoming, 
once  you  can  ride,"  he  answered  kindly. 
"Why,  when  the  spring  comes,  our  barren 
prairies  blossom  like  a  rose  and  the  birds  are 
about  everywhere.  The  ranch  girls  want 
you  to  get  fond  of  it  out  here.  There  ain't 
any  feeling  much  worse  than  being  homesick 
for  the  things  you  left  behind  you.  Now 
run  along  and  rig  yourself  up  in  some  kind  of  a 
riding  habit  of  the  girls.  I  will  have  the  pony 
waiting  by  the  time  you  are  ready." 

Ruth  rushed  into  the  house,  wondering 
why  she  felt  so  absurdly  young  and  happy 
all  at  once. 

The  young  chaperon  did  not  acquire  the  art 


NO  NEWS  237 

of  learning  to  ride  horseback  in  a  single  lesson. 
But  Jim  was  far  too  sweet-tempered  to  let  her 
know  that  she  was  the  hardest  pupil  he  ever 
tried  to  teach.  Both  the  master  and  pupil 
were  elated  when  Ruth  finally  managed  to  sit 
straight  in  her  saddle,  without  slipping  to 
either  side,  and  to  hold  her  reins  while  the 
pony  walked  sedately  up  and  down  with  Jim 
at  his  head. 

Late  that  afternoon,  Ruth  was  sitting  alone 
by  the  living-room  window.  It  was  growing 
dark.  The  day  had  been  a  tiring  one  and  she 
was  feeling  a  tiny  bit  depressed.  Jack  canter- 
ed up  to  the  house,  gave  her  pony  over  to 
their  colored  man,  and  without  so  much  as  a 
glance  at  Ruth,  strode  past  the  living-room 
into  her  own  room  and  closed  the  door  be- 
hind her. 

Ruth  sighed.  It  did  seem  to  her  that  Jack 
might  have  come  in  to  speak  to  her,  thinking 
that  she  had  been  by  herself  all  day.  Ruth 
was  beginning  to  make  up  her  mind  that  it 
was  an  utterly  hopeless  desire  that  she  and 
Jack  should  ever  be  friends.  Jack  was  so*  re- 
served and  unapproachable  and  so  bent  on 
having  her  own  way. 

Ruth  did  not  expect  Frieda  and  Jean  to 


238     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LOGDE 

return  for  another  hour.  Mrs.  Simpson  had 
promised  to  send  some  one  over  with  them,  so 
they  could  have  a  longer  visit  with  her.  It  was 
growing  spooky  in  the  living-room,  with  only 
the  dancing  shadows  of  the  fire.  Aunt  Ellen 
had  forgotten  to  bring  in  the  lamp  and  Ruth 
started  toward  the  kitchen  down  the  wide  hall. 

Outside  Jack's  door  she  heard  a  queer 
noise  that  startled  her.  It  was  a  strange 
choking  sound,  as  though  some  one  were  in 
pain.  Ruth  listened.  The  sound  was  not 
repeated,  but  the  room  was  in  perfect  dark- 
ness and  she  became  vaguely  uneasy.  She  did 
not  understand  Jack's  disposition.  The  girl 
had  been  so  quiet  and  unhappy  since  Olive's 
disappearance  and  Ruth  wondered  what  Jack 
was  doing  in  the  dark  alone. 

A  knock  on  the  door  brought  no  answer 
and  Ruth  tried  again. 

"  What  is  it?"  a  stifled  voice  asked. 

"Won't  you  let  me  come  in,  Jack?"  Ruth 
urged,  feeling  her  uneasiness  increase. 

"I  would  much  rather  you  wouldn't,  I 
prefer  to  be  alone,"  Jack  replied  in  her 
habitual  frigid  tones.  But  Ruth  heard  a 
queer  little  catch  at  the  end  of  her  sentence 
that  was  unfamiliar. 


NO  NEWS  239 

Ruth  had  her  hand  on  the  doorknob  and 
without  waiting  for  permission  she  turned  it 
and  walked  into  Jack's  room.  "  I  think  it  is 
my  duty  to  come  in  to  you,  Jack,"  she  ex- 
plained, in  her  self-righteous,  lady-governess 
tones  that  Jack  so  much  disliked. 

The  room  was  in  almost  total  darkness  and 
Ruth  could  catch  only  a  faint  outline  of  Jack's 
figure,  drawn  up  in  its  usual  proud  pose. 
But  to-night  her  head  was  drooping.  The  fire 
had  burned  out  in  the  grate,  except  for  a  few 
colored  ashes,  but  Ruth  found  paper  and  wood 
and  soon  brought  it  to  a  blaze.  She  said 
nothing  and  Jack  neither  moved  nor  spoke. 
But  Ruth  caught  one  glimpse  of  Jack's  face, 
when  the  firelight  leaped  up  into  the  room. 

She  found  an  old  eiderdown  wrapper  in 
the  closet  and  pushed  a  low  chair  near  the 
fire,  putting  the  warm  grey  gown  over  Jack's 
rigid  shoulders  and  pushing  her  softly  toward 
the  chair. 

"  There,  dear,  sit  down  by  the  fire,"  Ruth 
said  gently.  "  I  did  not  mean  to  intrude  on 
you  and  I  will  leave  you  by  yourself,  but  you 
must  try  and  not  let  yourself  get  ill  because 
you  are  miserable.  There  may  be  a  lot,  you 
know,  that  you  must  do  for  Frieda  and  Jean. " 


240     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Ruth  could  see  that  Jack  had  lost  her  self- 
control  and  was  trembling  with  nervousness 
and  cold,  and  turned  to  leave  her,  but  Jack 
held  out  a  shaking  hand. 

"Please  don't  go  yet,  Ruth,"  she  pleaded, 
as  though  she  were  one  girl  talking  to  another. 
"  There  is  something  I  want  to  try  to  tell  you 
if  lean. " 

Ruth  sat  quietly  down.  She  realized  all  at 
once  how  much  harder  it  is  for  some  people  to 
say  the  things  they  feel,  than  it  is  for  others. 

"It's  about  Olive,"  Jack  declared  after  an 
instant.  "  I  have  been  over  to  the  Norton 
ranch  to-day.  I  brought  myself  to  ask  a  favor 
of  Mr.  Norton.  I  asked  him  to  let  me  speak 
to  the  Indian  boy,  Josef,  who  works  on  his 
ranch.  Mr.  Norton  consented,  if  I  would 
allow  him  to  stay  in  the  room  while  I  talked. 
Of  course  he  thought  I  wanted  to  play  him 
some  trick  about  the  ranch."  Jack  spoke 
indifferently.  "  I  offered  Josef  everything  I 
had  in  the  world,  a  hundred  dollars  father 
once  gave  me  and  my  share  of  my  mother's 
jewelry,  if  he  would  only  tell  me  what  had 
become  of  Olive.  He  wouldn't  tell."  Jack 
shook  her  head  despairingly.  "  I  am  begin- 
ning to  believe  Olive  is  dead." 


NO  NEWS  241 

"  I  don't  think  so,  Jack,  somehow,  though 
I  don't  know,"  Ruth  returned  gravely. 

"  I  suppose  there  is  something  I  ought  to 
say  to  you,  Cousin  Ruth,"  Jack  continued 
quietly.  "  I  ought  to  tell  you  and  Jim  that 
I  am  sorry  that  I  went  off  to  the  round-up 
against  your  wishes.  Of  course  I  am  sorry, 
it  seemes  almost  foolish  for  me  to  speak  of  it. 
I  don't  want  to  ask  you  to  forgive  me,  because 
of  course  I  shall  never  think  of  forgiving  my- 
self for  losing  Olive,  no  matter  how  long  I 
live." 

Ruth  took  hold  of  Jack's  cold  fingers.  Jack 
spoke  with  perfect  self-control,  but  Ruth 
began  dimly  to  understand  something  of 
her  disposition. 

All  at  once,  Jack's  calmness  gave  way. 
She  began  to  sob,  as  though  she  were  torn  in 
pieces.  "  Oh,  Cousin  Ruth,  won't  Olive  come 
back  ever?  I  used  to  think  that  having  to 
give  up  our  ranch  would  be  the  most  dreadful 
thing  that  could  happen,  but  now  I  don't. 
Olive  was  so  gentle  and  so  timid.  I  thought 
I  was  going  to  protect  and  take  care  of  her  as 
though  she  were  Frieda,  but  instead  of  that 
it  was  I  who  led  her  into  danger." 

Ruth  and  Jack  talked  quietly  after  this, 

16 


242     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

until  Jean  and  Frieda  came  home.  Ruth  had 
entirely  lost  her  school-teacher  manner  and 
forgot  to  preach. 

Jack's  reserve  having  once  broken  down, 
she  told  Ruth  all  she  had  suffered  in  silence 
for  the  past  few  weeks. 

Though  Ruth  and  Jack  might  have  many 
conflicts  of  their  two  strong  wills  in  the  future, 
they  would  never  misunderstand  each  other 
so  completely  as  they  had  done  in  the  past. 


Someone  Crept  Up  Behind  Her  With  the  Stealthiness 
Possiele  Only  To  an  Indian. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

OLIVE. 

/~\N  the  day  when  Jacqueline  Ralston's  pony 
ran  away  so  unexpectedly,  and  Frank 
Kent  commanded  Olive  to  get  out  of  danger, 
Olive  had  watched  them  both  for  a  few 
minutes  in  a  kind  of  daze.  She  had  then 
moved  slowly  backward,  keeping  them  both 
in  sight,  until  she  dimly  saw  Jack's  leap  from 
her  horse.  She  then  continued  alone  along 
the  trail  which  she  and  Jack  had  traveled 
that  morning,  until  the  men  and  the  cattle  at 
the  round-up  were  entirely  out  of  sight, 
supposing  that  Frank  and  Jack  would  follow 
her  as  soon  as  they  crossed  the  field. 

Olive  stopped  her  horse  finally.  She  was 
not  looking  about  her,  nor  thinking  of  any- 
thing in  particular  except  her  joy  in  Jack's 
safety.     She  heard  no  sound. 

Someone  crept  up  behind  her  with  the 
healthiness  possible  only  to  an  Indian.  Sud- 
denly Olive  felt  her  hands  drawn  behind  her 
and  she  was  forcibly  dragged  from  her  horse. 

Two  or  three  times  only  she  cried  for  help, 

(243) 


244     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

but  before  she  could  do  more,  a  handkerchief 
was  tied  tightly  about  her  lips  and  she  was  half 
dragged  and  half  carried  to  one  of  the  very 
tents  which  she  and  Jack  had  passed  that 
morning  on  their  way  to  the  fateful  round-up. 

Old  Laska  sat  stolidly  smoking  a  pipe. 
"Ugh/7  she  grunted,  but  her  small,  beady 
eyes  flashed  like  coals  in  the  sunlight. 

Although  Olive  was  the  last  person  she 
expected  to  see  at  such  a  moment,  she  took 
the  girl  from  Josef  without  a  word,  and  held 
her  so  that  she  could  not  get  away.  Josef 
disappeared  immediately.  He  must  have 
gone  to  hide  Olive's  pony  from  sight. 

Olive  struggled,  but  she  could  make  no 
outcry,  and  in  a  little  while  Laska  bound  her 
so  that  she  could  scarcely  move.  The  girl 
was  a  captive  inside  the  tent  at  the  moment 
when  Frank  Kent  and  Jack  passed  it,  unheed- 
ing, on  their  return  to  Rainbow  Lodge. 

The  Indian  woman  and  her  son  had  not 
thought  to  capture  Olive  at  such  a  time  and 
place.  But  they  had  vowed  to  get  hold  of 
her  by  any  means  they  could.  From  the 
instant  Josef  discovered  that  Olive  had  come 
to  the  round-up,  he  had  not  lost  sight  of  her 
and  when  he  found  her  alone,  he  was  ready. 


OLIVE  245 

All  afternoon  she  lay  in  the  tightly  closed 
tent  with  Laska,  neither  one  of  the  women 
moving,  Olive  being  in  a  stupor  from  terror 
and  pain.  By  and  by,  when  the  dusk  fell, 
Josef  appeared  silently  at  the  tent  entrance, 
leading  Olive's  pony  and  a  horse  for  his 
mother.  He  bound  Olive  to  her  horse,  and 
the  two  women  set  off  across  the  prairies, 
Laska  with  her  bundle  across  her  back  and 
two  jugs  of  water  swung  over  her  saddle. 

Through  all  the  long,  cold  night,  Laska 
traveled  across  the  barren  plains  with  her 
hand  on  Olive's  bridle.  At  first  there  were 
shadowy  fences  that  marked  the  division  of 
one  ranch  from  another.  These  were  soon 
lost  and  the  way  lay  through  a  trackless  waste, 
unbroken  by  a  trail  of  man  or  animal.  Laska 
had  gone  into  the  desert  where  there  was  no 
drop  of  pure  water. 

In  the  morning  the  Indian  woman  rested, 
built  a  fire,  untied  Olive  and  fed  her,  know- 
ing that  if  the  girl  ran  away  from  her  now 
she  would  not  be  able  to  go  back  the  way  they 
had  come.  She  must  be  lost  and  could  not 
fail  to  perish  from  hunger  and  thirst.  Still 
Laska  guarded  her  closely. 

On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  of  their 


246     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

journeying,  Olive  saw  on  the  far  horizon  some 
curling  wreaths  of  smoke.  Nearer  there  were 
a  few  lean  horses  grazing  on  the  scanty  sage 
grass.  A  dozen  Indian  tepees  were  set  up  in 
what  seemed  a  small  oasis  in  the  desert. 
She  knew  that  Laska  had  brought  her  to  the 
winter  quarters  of  a  small  band  of  Indians 
who  would  not  stay  in  a  village  overlooked 
and  regulated  by  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment. These  Indians  lived  the  old  nomad 
life,  wandering  from  place  to  place,  setting 
up  their  tents  like  gypsies,  wherever  they  could 
remain  unmolested. 

Olive  almost  gave  up  hope.  Here  in  the 
wilderness  she  would  never  come  in  contact 
with  any  one  from  the  outside  world.  When 
the  spring  came,  the  Indians  would  gather  up 
their  belongings  and  wander  farther  away, 
taking  her  with  them,  where  she  could  have 
no  chance  of  return. 

Laska  and  Olive  had  a  tent  of  their  own. 
In  it  they  lived  for  some  time,  rarely  speaking 
to  one  another.  Nobody  was  unkind  to  her 
and  for  some  reason  Laska  left  her  alone. 
It  was  growing  bitterly  cold  and  the  old 
woman  used  to  sit  smoking  all  day  by  the  fire, 
either  in  her  own  wigwam    or   one   nearby. 


OLIVE  247 

She  did  not  try  to  watch  Olive,  knowing  that 
she  could  not  get  away.  Laska  had  told  her 
that  she  should  never  leave  the  Indians  again ; 
that  they  would  return  no  more  to  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  white  men  and  Olive  seemed 
quietly  to  accept  her  fate.  Even  Laska,  who 
had  trained  the  girl  in  her  own  school  of 
silence,  was  deceived  by  her.  She  thought 
that  Olive  no  longer  cared  enough  to  go  back 
to  dare  the  perils  of  the  trip. 

At  first  it  did  appear  utterly  impossible  to 
Olive.  She  had  not  the  faintest  idea  in  what 
direction  she  and  Laska  had  traveled  and  on 
arriving  among  the  Indians,  her  pony  had  been 
taken  away  from  her.  She  had  no  food  ex- 
cept the  little  bit  she  was  allowed  each  day, 
barely  enough  to  live  on  and  knew  that  at 
any  time  now,  the  swift  and  bitter  snowstorms 
of  the  prairies  might  fall.  Any  traveler  caught 
out  in  one  of  them  would  surely  perish  and 
not  be  found  until  the  snow  melted. 

There  were  many  hours,  when  Olive  thought 
she  would  run  away  anyhow  and  take  what- 
ever fate  came  to  her.  But  the  memory  of 
Jack,  and  Jean  and  Frieda,  Cousin  Ruth  and 
Rainbow  Lodge  sustained  her.  A  little  time 
before  and  she  had  not  known  any  happi- 


248      RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

ness.  Now  the  thought  of  the  joy  she  would 
feel  if  she  ever  got  home  again,  gave  her 
patience  and  courage  to  wait. 

Few  of  the  older  Indians  paid  much  atten- 
tion to  the  captive.  Whatever  story  old 
Laska  had  told  them,  they  had  accepted 
without  question.  They  spoke  very  little 
English  and  rarely  stirred,  except  when  the 
men  went  off  on  long  hunting  expeditions  to 
return  with  whatever  deer  they  managed  to 
slay. 

Olive  had  only  one  friend,  one  person,  with 
whom  she  talked  in  the  weeks  she  spent  in  the 
Indian  camp.  This  was  Carlos,  a  young 
Indian  boy,  about  twelve  years  old.  He 
was  as  slender  and  straight  as  a  young  pine 
tree,  the  fastest  runner,  the  best  rider  and 
shot  in  the  tribe.  She  had  paid  little  atten- 
tion to  the  boy  at  first,  but  he  followed  her 
like  a  shadow.  Often  when  she  came  out 
of  her  tent,  she  would  find  him  sitting  like  a 
brown  image  on  the  cold  ground.  Hie  boy 
was  like  an  Eskimo  and  appeared  to  feel 
neither  hunger  nor  frost. 

One  day  Olive  set  out  for  a  walk.  She  did 
not  wish  Carlos  to  go  with  her,  but  before  she 
had  gone  many  rods  the  boy  appeared  at  her 


OLIVE  249 

side  and  quietly  marched  beside  her,  looking 
neither  to  the  right  nor  the  left. 

"Go  back,  Carlos/ '  Olive  commanded 
quietly. 

The  boy  shook  his  head.  "  You  travel  not 
alone  over  the  prairies,  you  do  not  know  your 
way,"  he  answered  stolidly. 

Olive's  patience  gave  out.  She  seized  the 
boy  by  the  shoulders,  tears  came  into  her 
soft  black  eyes  and  her  face  quivered.  "  You 
are  hired  to  spy  on  me,  Carlos,"  she  said  accu- 
singly.    "  I  thought  I  had  one  friend  in  you." 

Again  Carlos  shook  his  head.  "Why 
should  I  spy  on  you?"  he  asked.  "What  is 
it  you  would  do?" 

Then  Olive  told  the  boy  what  had  happened 
to  her. 

Very  quietly  he  listened.  "I  knew  you 
were  not  of  our  people,"  he  answered.  "  I 
will  find  the  way  for  you  to  get  back  home. 
You  are  a  woman  and  timid.  Have  faith  in 
me." 

Olive  smiled,  and  from  this  day  she  called 
the  Indian  boy,  "Little  Brother,"  but  she 
had  no  hope  of  his  helping  her  and  she  saw 
him  far  less  often.  Carlos  was  away  from 
the  camp  nearly  every  day,  returning  with 


250     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

rabbits  that  he  shot  on  the  plains.  Olive 
saw  him  drying  the  skins  and  sometimes  he 
brought  her  their  meat  to  eat,  but  he  never 
referred  to  his  promise  to  show  her  a  way  of 
escape  from  the  Indian  camp. 

The  days  were  long,  but  the  nights  were  far 
longer  and  the  long  twilights  the  saddest  time 
of  all.     Olive  sat  often  in  the  tent  alone. 

One  evening  Laska  had  departed  earlier 
than  usual  to  the  wigwam  of  a  neighboring 
squaw  and  Olive  was  huddled  up  on  the  dry 
grass  in  front  of  their  fire,  trying  to  keep  from 
freezing.  The  air  was  filled  with  smoke. 
The  girl  looked  scornfully  at  the  two  beds  of 
straw,  covered  with  coarse  Indian  blankets, 
where  she  and  Indian  Laska  slept.  Before 
her  eyes  came  the  vision  of  the  splendid  living- 
room  at  Rainbow  Lodge.  She  could  see  the 
ranch  girls  and  their  cousin  before  the  great 
fire  and  wondered  if  they  ever  thought  of  her 
now.  Olive  did  not  know  how  long  a  time 
had  passed  since  she  was  stolen. 

Sticking  out  from  under  Laska's  bed  was 
the  bundle  which  she  had  borne  on  her  back 
across  the  plains.  Until  this  moment  she  had 
kept  it  hidden  from  Olive,  except  during  their 
trip,  when  she  had  gotten  their  food  from  it. 


OLIVE  251 

Olive  was  not  particularly  interested  in 
her  discovery.  But  it  occurred  to  her  that 
this  bag  might  have  something  to  eat  in  it, 
which  would  aid  her,  if  she  could  manage  to  get 
away.  She  drew  out  the  dirty  sheepskin 
bag  and  thrust  her  hand  into  it,  shuddering 
at  the  things  she  touched.  There  were  some 
odd  bits  of  soiled  clothing  and  a  small  pack- 
age, tied  up  in  an  old,  red  cotton  handkerchief. 
Olive  had  seen  the  package  in  the  handker- 
chief before,  in  Laska's  hut  in  the  village. 
But  she  had  never  been  interested  to  find  out 
what  it  contained.  To-night  she  cared  for 
anything  that  would  break  the  monotony  of 
the  long  hours  ahead  of  her. 

Olive  looked  cautiously  at  the  tent  opening. 
The  place  was  entirely  still.  There  was  not 
a  sound  in  the  lonely  tepee,  save  the  blowing 
of  the  winter  winds  across  the  desert.  The 
girl  crawled  to  a  spot  where  the  fire  cast  its 
brightest  glow.  Patiently  she  worked  at  the 
hard  knots  in  the  handkerchief.  There  was 
a  roll  of  money  in  it  tied  up  with  a  cord. 
Olive  tossed  the  money  impatiently  aside. 
What  use  was  money  to  her  in  this  wild  land? 
Olive  had  known  always  that  Laska  got 
money    from    some    unknown    source.    She 


252     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

always  had  more  than  the  other  Indians  in 
their  village,  and  Jack  had  explained  to  Olive 
that  this  money  was  sent  to  Laska  for  taking 
care  of  her.  Olive  searched  for  a  bit  of  paper, 
something  to  show  from  what  place  or  from 
whom  this  money  came.  But  there  was  no 
scrap  of  anything  of  that  sort. 

Beside  the  money,  there  was  a  small  box 
in  the  handkerchief.  It  was  of  delicate, 
carved  wood  and  smelled  very  sweet.  Olive 
saw  at  once  that  the  carving  had  never  been 
made  by  Indians.     It  was  far  too  fine. 

She  was  so  intent  on  opening  this  box  that 
she  did  not  hear  a  stealthy  noise  just  outside 
her  tent. 

The  lid  of  the  sandalwood  chest  slid  gently 
off.  Inside,  Olive  beheld  some  trinkets, 
which  she  knew  in  a  moment  of  swift  rapture, 
must  belong  to  her.  One  was  a  curiously 
wrought  old  silver  chain,  with  a  beautiful 
cross  hanging  from  it.  A  watch,  large  enough 
to  belong  to  a  man,  had  a  girPs  picture  painted 
in  it  which  made  Olive  catch  her  breath. 
The  picture  she  knew  looked  like  her,  only  it 
was  far  lovelier.  This  girl  had  the  same 
brilliant  yet  soft  black  eyes,  the  same 
straight,    glossy   hair   and    the    deep,    olive 


OLIVE  253 

coloring.  She  was  not  an  American,  but 
Olive  knew  there  was  no  trace  of  Indian  blood 
in  this  woman.  Whatever  Indian  blood  ran 
in  Olive's  veins,  she  guessed  she  must  have 
inherited  from  her  father.  Beside  the  watch 
and  chain,  the  carved  box  held  but  one  more 
treasure.  It  was  a  little  book  about  four 
inches  square,  written  in  a  language  that 
Olive  could  not  understand. 

The  noise  at  the  tent  opening  grew  more 
distinct.  Some  one  was  peering  through  a 
tiny  opening,  yet  Olive  seemed  to  have  neither 
eyes  nor  ears.  Her  face  was  flushed  with 
happiness  and  she  held  the  odd,  sweet-smell- 
ing box  close  against  her  cheek. 

Someone  entered  the  tent.  At  last  Olive 
awakened  and  springing  to  her  feet,  thrust 
her  treasures  inside  her  dress.  With  her  eyes 
flaming,  she  turned  to  face  her  enemy;  for 
Olive  had  not  lived  all  her  life  among  nearly 
savage  people  without  learning  something 
from  them.  She  meant  to  fight  now  to  save 
her  possessions,  as  a  real  Indian  girl  would 
have  fought  to  the  last  moment  of  her  strength. 

But  instead  of  the  ugly  face  of  old  Laska 
staring  at  her,  Olive  saw  the  slight  figure  of 
Carlos,  the  Indian  boy. 


254     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Olive  held  out  her  treasures  eagerly. 
"Look  what  I  have  found,"  she  exclaimed. 
"  I  know  they  must  be  mine." 

The  Indian  boy  regarded  the  pieces  of 
jewelry  gravely.  To  him  they  appeared  like 
any  other  trinkets  that  the  Indians  loved. 

"  I  have  come  to  tell  you  how  you  may  re^ 
turn  to  your  white  friends,"  Carlos  announced 
proudly.  "I  told  you  that  a  man  would 
find  a  way.     It  is  only  women  who  give  up." 

Olive  shook  her  lovely  head,  her  thoughts 
still  dwelling  with  her  discovery.  She  did  not 
understand  exactly  what  the  Indian  lad  said. 

He  caught  at  her  dress  and  pulled  it  im- 
patiently. "  Listen,  woman.  I  have  found  a 
way  for  you  to  get  back  to  your  ranch-land. 
Do  you  hear  me,  or  is  it  that  you  have  changed 
your  mind  like  all  women  and  do  not  now 
wish  to  go?" 

Olive  laughed.  It  was  so  funny  to  hear 
this  small  boy  take  the  patronizing  tone  with 
her  that  the  men  of  his  race  used  toward  all 
women.  She  put  her  arm  about  him  and 
drew  him  down  on  the  floor  by  her.  The 
flickering  lights  of  the  fire  played  on  the  two 
dark  heads,  her  hair  fine  and  soft  as  silk,  his 
stiff  and  straight  as  a  young  colt's  mane. 


OLIVE  255 

"  Of  course  I  want  to  go  back  to  my  friends, 
Little  Brother,"  Olive  sighed.  "But  let's 
don't  talk  of  that  to-night,  I  want  to  be  a 
little  bit  happy  in  thmking  that  I  have  found 
something  that  must  once  have  belonged  to 
my  mother." 

But  the  boy  would  not  be  persuaded. 
"  We  must  talk  of  your  getting  away  to-night, 
for  the  time  is  ready,"  Carlos  declared,  in  the 
solemn  tone  of  a  young  Indian  chief  making 
ready  for  battle.  "You  know  I  have  been 
out  on  the  prairies  for  many  days  together 
and  no  one  knew  where  or  for  what  I  had 
gone.  I  have  wandered  in  many  directions 
seeking  for  the  home  of  some  white  man,  for 
I  know  that  however  much  the  Indian  pre- 
tends he  is  in  a  wilderness,  he  is  always  to- 
day on  the  border  of  the  white  man's  land." 

"  Well,  have  you  found  a  friend  to  help  me?" 
Olive  demanded  fervently. 

"I  have  found  no  friend,"  Carlos  replied, 
refusing  to  be  hurried  or  disturbed.  "But 
I  have  found  an  iron  trail  that  stretches 
across  the  desert.  It  must  bring  you  to 
where  the  white  people  dwell." 

"  An  iron  trail,"  Olive  repeated  wonderingly. 
"  I  am  afraid,  I  don't  know  what  you  mean." 


256     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Tfc*s  boy  gazed  at  her  with  slow,  unmoved 
patients.  "It  has  an  iron  carriage  on  it  that 
flies  along  the  trail  more  swiftly  than  any 
horse  can  run,"  Carlos  explained.  "There 
is  great  heat  and  noise  and  smoke  like  a 
prairie  fire." 

Olive  caught  the  boy's  hand  in  hers.  "  You 
mean  an  engine  and  a  railroad  track,  don't 
you,  Little  Brother?"  she  queried.  "You 
have  seen  a  train  somewhere  out  on  the  desert. 
You  will  take  me  to  it  and  somehow  I  will 
find  people  to  help  me  to  get  back  to  Rainbow 
Lodge."  Olive  flung  her  arms  about  Carlos 
and  hugged  him  as  she  might  have  hugged 
Frieda.  She  poured  out  such  a  flood  of 
questions,  that  the  boy  was  convinced  he 
was  right  in  his  scorn  of  her  sex,  but  he 
listened  with  deep  gravity. 

"I  do  not  know  all  things,"  he  replied 
finally.  "Only  I  have  laid  all  day  on  the 
ground  near  the  trail.  I  know  the  hour  when 
the  iron  carriage  passes  over  it.  The  walk  is 
a  long  one,  but  if  you  will  follow  me,  I  will 
take  you  there.  I  will  come  for  you  to-night 
just  before  the  dawn  breaks.  When  you 
hear  an  owl  hoot,  you  will  know  that  Carlos 
is  outside  your  door.    You  will  creep  softly, 


OLIVE  257 

so  that  we  may  have  several  hours  before  old 
Laska  wakes.  I  will  bring  food  and  the  skins 
of  many  wild  rabbits  that  I  have  sewed 
together  in  the  evenings,  that  you  may  not 
freeze." 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


THE    WAY   OF   ESCAPE. 


TN  the  darkness  Olive  kept  tight  hold  of 
Carlos'  hand.  They  ran  swiftly  and  softly, 
like  frightened  hares,  each  moment  dreading 
to  hear  footsteps  behind  them.  But  the 
darkness  hid  their  tracks  and  a  wind  was 
blowing,  which  shifted  the  sand  and  whirled 
it  into  hills  and  hollows,  so  that  not  even  an 
Indian  could  find  the  print  of  any  passing 
foot.  Besides,  old  Laska  slept  soundly  and 
she  had  not  stirred  when  Olive  stole  out  from 
her  tent. 

Carlos  marched  toward  the  east,  where 
the  sky  looked  less  dark,  until  the  cold  dawn 
broke.  Before  the  sun  was  well  up  the  boy 
saw  something  glinting  and  glimmering  ahead 
of  them  like  a  long  steel  serpent.  He  gave 
a  cry  of  victory.  Breaking  away  from  Olive, 
Carlos  ran  ahead.  For  a  moment  he  stood 
balancing  himself  on  the  track  rails,  waving 
his  thin  brown  arms  and  crowing  like  a  young 
chanticler. 

"  We  will  rest  here  by  the  iron  trail/'  he 

(258) 


THE  WAY  OF  ESCAPE  25? 

announced  happily.  "I  will  build  a  fire  and 
we  will  eat.  By  and  by  the  great  wagon  will 
pass  by,  roaring  and  snorting  like  an  angry 
buffalo.  It  will  take  you  with  it."  For  a 
moment  the  boy's  face  clouded.  Then,  as 
Olive  reached  his  side,  he  laughed  at  the 
thought  of  her  joy. 

"  But,  Carlos,"  Olive  whispered.  She  was 
weary  and  almost  frozen  from  her  long  tramp 
across  the  plains.  "  You  have  brought  me  to 
the  railroad  track,  but  where  is  the  station? 
Did  you  not  know  that  the  white  man's 
trains  will  not  stop  unless  there  is  a  little 
house  set  up  by  a  wooden  platform,  where 
a  man  at  a  window  sells  you  small  squares  of 
paper?" 

Carlos  shook  his  head  in  confusion.  He 
had  no  idea  what  Olive  was  talking  about,  for 
he  had  never  seen  a  railroad  depot  in  the 
twelve  years  of  his  wandering  life.  But  he 
saw  Olive's  disappointment  and  knew  that 
something  in  his  beautiful  plan  for  his  friend 
was  wrong. 

"Never  you  mind,  girl,"  Carlos  insisted, 
shaking  his  straight,  black  hair,  like  a  little 
foreign  king,  "  I  will  see  that  the  wagon  stops 
for  you  here,  where  we  wait." 


260     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Olive  dropped  down  on  the  ground,  too 
tired  to  argue  or  to  explain  any  further. 
Carlos  ran  along  the  track,  finding  a  few  odd 
sticks  and  pieces  of  wood.  He  made  a  little 
fire,  into  which  he  stuck  one  long  stick,  like 
a  staff,  which  he  had  carried  from  the 
camp;  but  he  saw  that  only  the  end  of  it 
burned. 

Hungrily  Olive  ate.  She  believed  that  she 
must  follow  the  railroad  track  until  she  came 
to  a  depot.  She  had  no  way  of  guessing 
how  many  more  miles  she  must  walk,  nor 
how  many  trains  passed  over  this  iron  path- 
way through  the  desert;  but  she  did  know 
that  she  must  save  whatever  strength  she  had, 
as  her  only  hope  was  to  reach  a  city  some- 
where. She  had  not  Carlos'  faith,  that  the 
train  would  take  her  straight  into  the  arms 
of  her  beloved  friends,  yet  she  knew  that  once 
in  a  town,  she  could  probably  find  a  way  of 
communicating  with  them. 

Carlos  and  Olive  did  not  dare  to  talk. 
Olive  was  listening  for  the  sound  of  a  horse's 
hoofs,  knowing  that  the  journey,  which  had 
been  so  long  on  foot,  could  be  made  on 
horseback  in  a  little  while,  if  old  Laska  ever 
guessed   the   route    they   had    taken.    But 


THE  WAY  OF  ESCAPE  261 

Carlos  listened  for  a  louder  noise  and  one  to 
him  far  less  familiar. 

The  boy  and  girl  heard  it  at  the  same  in- 
stant and  both  sprang  to  their  feet.  Olive's 
face  grew  white  and  rigid  with  disappoint- 
ment; but  the  boy's  eyes  flashed  with  excite- 
ment. The  train  was  coming  along  the  track 
past  the  spot  where  Olive  and  Carlos  rested. 
Olive  feared  that  her  only  chance  of  escape 
for  that  day  was  gone.  She  had  hoped  to 
reach  a  depot  before  a  train  went  by  them. 

Nearer  the  roar  of  the  engine  sounded.  It 
was  in  sight  far  off  across  the  desert,  but  a 
very  few  minutes  brought  it  close. 

Olive  stepped  quickly  back  to  be  out  of 
danger  and  seized  Carlos  by  his  woolen  shirt 
to  drag  him  with  her.  The  boy  jerked  away, 
and  before  Olive  could  dream  what  he  intended 
to  do,  he  grabbed  his  burning  stick  from  the 
fire.  "  I'll  stop  the  train  for  you/'  he  shouted 
valiantly.  "Only  be  quick.  You  must  get 
on  when  I  command  it." 

Like  a  flash,  the  brave,  brown  figure  ran 
along  the  track,  waving  his  tiny  torch  and 
facing  with  all  his  feeble  strength  the  great 
monster  of  iron  and  steel  that  was  driving 
toward  him.     The  blood  of  many  centuries  of 


262     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Indian  chiefs  must  have  been  back  of  little 
Carlos.  He  dared  the  unknown  force  of  this 
engine  to-day,  as  his  ancestors  had  the  bul- 
lets and  powder  of  their  white  enemies,  with 
the  same  blind  belief  in  his  own  power  against 
the  forces  of  civilization. 

Olive  saw  Carlos  go,  with  a  feeling  of  sick- 
ening horror.  The  boy  was  so  small,  so 
stupidly  audacious.  Olive's,  "Come  back, 
come  back!"  was  lost  in  the  noise  of  the 
train,  but  Carlos  would  not  have  heeded  her. 
What  Indian  chief  has  ever  obeyed  a 
woman?  There  seemed  to  be  but  one  fate 
for  him, — he  would  be  crushed  to  death  in 
an  instant. 

The  engineer  saw  the  boy  running  toward 
his  train,  and  the  fire  which  Olive  and  Carlos 
had  built  near  the  track.  He  had  but  one 
thought:  there  must  be  danger  somewhere 
ahead  of  them  and  these  children  had  come 
to  warn  him. 

Fortunately  for  Carlos,  the  train  which 
he  had  chosen  for  Olive's  escape  was  not  one 
of  passenger  coaches,  but  a  freight  train.  The 
engine  was  going  at  far  less  speed,  and  quickly 
slowed  down  and  stopped. 

"Come,    come,    Olive,"    th«   bov   shouted 


THE  WAY  OF  ESCAPE  263 

triumphantly,  this  time  waving  his  burning 
stick  like  a  conquering  hero. 

Olive  ran  toward  the  car,  dazed,  breathless, 
hardly  knowing  what  had  taken  place,  nor 
what  she  was  doing.  The  Indian  boy's  spirit 
had  somehow  seized  hold  on  the  situation. 

"What  has  happened,  imp?"  the  engineer 
roared  out  of  his  car  window.  "  Is  something 
wrong  ahead  on  the  track?" 

Carlos  danced  up  and  down,  as  though  he 
did  not  understand  what  the  engineer  asked. 
He  had  only  a  dim  idea  of  the  man's  meaning 
as  he  knew  so  few  English  words.  Olive  was 
slipping  by  him  and  Carlos  saw  that  she 
meant  to  do  what  he  had  planned.  The 
engineer  was  climbing  out  of  his  cab,  his 
back  being  turned,  so  that  he  did  not  see 
Olive  swing  herself  up  into  the  next  car. 
In  an  instant  the  girl  had  hidden  herself  in 
the  midst  of  great  piles  of  boxes,  unobserved 
by  the  other  trainmen,  who  were  also  inter- 
ested in  Carlos. 

The  engineer  was  determined  to  find  out 
what  the  Indian  lad  had  to  tell  him.  If  the 
boy  had  fooled  him  and  there  was  nothing  for 
them  to  fear  ahead,  he  should  get  the  punish- 
ment he  deserved. 


264     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Carlos  guessed  the  engineer's  meaning  from 
the  expression  of  his  face.  The  boy  made 
a  dart  that  was  almost  as  swift  as  the  first 
plunge  of  an  arrow  from  a  bow.  He  was  a 
small  brown  spot  some  distance  off,  when  the 
engineer  made  up  his  mind  to  run  after  him. 
The  man  did  run  for  a  few  rods,  but  the 
idea  of  catching  the  boy  was  ridiculous. 
He  was  like  a  breath  of  wind,  blowing  this 
way  and  that  across  the  prairie.  He  could 
lead  the  engineer  off  into  the  desert,  so  that 
he  would  not  know  how  to  return,  and 
the  man  realized  this.  He  climbed  slowly 
back  into  his  engine,  determined  to  watch 
out  himself  for  trouble  along  the  track;  be- 
lieving, however,  that  Carlos  had  played  an 
ugly  trick  on  him.  It  would  have  gone  hard 
with  Olive  if  she  had  been  discovered  at 
this  time. 

The  train  went  tardily  on.  Olive  could 
hear  the  men  moving  on  the  top  of  the  coach 
over  her  head.  Once  or  twice  a  dirty-faced 
trainman  stuck  his  head  in  the  open  door 
of  the  freight  car,  but  he  saw  nothing  of 
the  frightened  girl  huddled  between  the 
boxes.  Olive  of  course  had  no  knowledge 
of  where  she  was  going.      Her  plan  was  to 


THE  WAY  OF  ESCAPE  265 

crawl  out  of  the  car  as  soon  as  it  stopped 
at  a  town  and  then  try  to  find  some  one  to 
help  her. 

But  the  car  did  not  stop  and  Olive  finally 
fell  asleep. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

A   VOICE   IN   THE    NIGHT. 

A  ROUGH  voice  aroused  Olive.  She  sprang 
up  in  terror  and  stood  pressed  close 
against  the  piled  up  freight  in  the  car.  It 
was  an  odd-looking  figure  she  made,  as  though 
she  had  stepped  out  of  a  world  several  hun- 
dred years  younger  than  the  present  one. 
The  coarse  man  who  watched  her  dimly 
felt  it. 

The  girPs  shoes  were  ragged  and  hardly 
covered  her  slender  feet,  her  skirt  was  torn 
and  old.  Over  her  shoulders  hung  a  strange 
fur  garment,  shapeless,  save  that  a  hole  had 
been  cut  in  the  center  for  her  head.  Her 
beautiful  black  hair  was  braided  and  one  long 
plait  hung  over  each  shoulder;  her  head  was 
uncovered  and  her  delicate  face,  with  its 
pointed  chin,  was  deathly  pale.  She  was 
trembling.  Dark  shadows  encircled  her  great 
black  eyes  and  there  was  a  look  not  of  de- 
fiance but  of  pleading  in  them. 

So  picturesque  a  passenger  had  never 
before  stolen  a  ride  on  a  modern  freight  train. 

(266) 


A  VOICE  IN  THE  NIGHT  267 

She  belonged  to  the  days  of  the  pioneer  settlers 
in  the  new  land  of  America. 

"How  did  you  come  here?"  the  man  de- 
manded gruffly. 

Olive's  voice  shook.  She  had  thought 
it  would  be  easy  to  tell  her  story,  if  she  could 
only  get  away  from  the  Indians,  but  this 
fierce  man  frightened  her  more  than  any  one 
of  them  could  have  done.  What  must  she 
say?  Where  could  she  begin  with  the  tale 
of  her  misfortunes. 

"  I  stole  in,  when  the  train  stopped  a  while 
ago,  I  don't  just  know  when,"  Olive  answered 
vaguely.  She  could  not  tell  how  long  she 
had  been  asleep. 

"  Then  you'll  git  out  the  next  time  it  stops, 
young  Missie,"  the  trainman  announced 
harshly.  "I'd  put  you  off  right  now,  but 
we  are  already  behind  time,  because  of  a 
rascally  Indian  boy  a  piece  up  the  road. 
Better  stay  hid  and  not  let  our  engineer  catch 
sight  of  you,  or  he'd  make  it  good  and  hot 
for  you.  Maybe  he  would  turn  you  over  to 
the  police." 

Olive  could  not  realize  it,  but  her  appear- 
ance had  already  touched  her  discoverer. 
She  crouched  in  her  corner  again  and  bowed 


268     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

her  head  in  her  slim  brown  hands,  as  she  had 
the  day  when  the  ranch  girls  brought  her  out 
of  Frieda's  cave.  She  did  not  try  to  defend 
herself. 

The  trainman  climbed  up  on  a  box  and  sat 
whittling  a  stick  and  watching  Olive  out  of  a 
pair  of  shrewd  Irish  blue  eyes.  He  was  not 
a  fierce  man.  He  had  a  wife  and  five  tow- 
headed  children,  living  in  one  of  the  little 
frame  shacks  along  the  line  of  the  railroad. 
The  man  was  clever  enough  to  see  that  Olive 
was  not  an  ordinary  thief  or  impostor. 

"Are  you  sick,  girl?"  the  man  inquired, 
surprised  by  Olive's  silence. 

The  girl  shook  her  head.  "  Oh,  no,  I  am 
not  sick,  thank  you,"  Olive  answered  gently, 
"  but  I  am  very  tired.  I  ran  away  from  an 
Indian  encampment  before  dawn  to-day. 
Would  you  mind  telling  we  where  this  train  is 
going?" 

Little  by  little  Olive  told  the  whole  history 
of  her  strange  life  to  the  Irishman,  who  sat  on 
the  box  in  the  freight  car  and  never  ceased 
his  whittling  for  a  moment. 

"By  St.  Peter!"  he  muttered,  when  Olive 
finished  replying  to  his  last  question.  "  This 
girl  tells  a  story  that  might  have  come  out  of  a 


A  VOICE  IN  THE  NIGHT  269 

poetry  or  a  history  book.  The  funny  thing  is, 
her  story  must  be  true!  Oh,  well,"  he 
announced  to  himself,  not  to  Olive,  "  there  is 
one  thing  certain.  Nobody  can  ever  make 
up  in  their  heads  such  all-fired  queer  things 
as  happen  every  day. " 

But  the  man  had  not  answered  Olive's 
question  as  to  where  this  train  was  going. 
She  had  not  the  courage  to  ask  him  again. 

By  and  by  Olive  saw  little  houses  along  the 
road  and  knew  that  their  train  was  nearing  a 
small,  western  town.  She  got  up  and  touched 
the  Irishman  timidly  on  the  arm.  "May  I 
get  off  at  the  station  myself,  please?"  she 
begged.     "  You  won't  have  to  put  me  off. " 

The  man  shook  his  head  severely.  "No, 
you  are  not  going  to  get  off  yourself,"  he 
returned  gruffly,  "and  I  ain't  going  to  put 
you  off  either.  If  you  can  keep  on  making 
yourself  small,  and  you  are  a  pretty  thin  kind 
of  a  girl,  I  am  going  to  take  you  farther  down 
the  road  with  us.  I  have  an  idea  this  here 
freight  train  will  run  along  somewhere  near 
Wolf ville  in  the  course  of  the  afternoon.  You 
have  had  such  bad  luck  in  the  past,  Missie, 
that  maybe  your  luck  has  changed.  Anyhow, 
when  you  butted  blindly  into  this  freight  car, 


270     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

you  found  a  coach  going  in  just  about  the  way 
you  needed  to  travel.  Don't  worry  your 
head  any  more  about  what  you  are  to  do. 
I'll  put  you  off  at  Wolfville,  and  though  it 
looks  a  bit  cloudy,  as  though  it  might  mean  to 
blow  up  a  bit  of  snow,  I  expect  you'll  manage 
to  get  back  to  the  Ralston  Ranch,  somehow, 
before  night." 

Olive,  satisfied  that  this  kind-hearted  stran- 
ger would  look  out  for  her,  dozed  on,  half 
waking  and  half  sleeping.  Neither  she  nor 
her  new  friend  knew  how  exhausted  she  was. 
She  had  passed  through  several  weeks  of 
dreadful  hardship,  exposure  and  unhappiness, 
and  now  she  felt  too  happy  to  think  or  care 
because  her  head  ached  dully,  and  her  legs 
shook  so  she  could  hardly  stand  on  them. 
She  would  be  home  soon  with  Frieda  and 
Jean  and  Jack! 

Several  hours  went  by.  The  trainman  left 
.the  car  and  attended  to  his  duties.  But 
Olive  had  entire  faith  that  he  would  not  for- 
get her. 

At  a  little  past  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
the  freight  train  came  to  a  stop  near  the  little 
town  of  Wolfville,  which  was  only  a  matter  of 
ten  miles  from  Rainbow  Ranch.     The  wind 


A  VOICE  IN  THE  NIGHT  271 

was  blowing  with  a  queer,  ominous  rattling 
sound  and  a  few  flakes  of  snow  were  falling. 

Olive's  new  friend  gazed  at  her  a  little 
queerly,  as  he  lifted  her  out  on  the  platform 
There  were  no  people  in  sight  except  the 
station  master,  for  it  was  almost  dark  and  the 
stopping  of  a  freight  train  was  of  little 
interest. 

"  Sure  you  know  how  to  get  to  your  friends 
from  here?"  the  Irishman  asked  Olive.  She 
took  time  to  nod  and  wave  her  hand,  then 
ran  swiftly  away  from  the  station  in  the 
direction  of  Rainbow  Ranch. 

If  Olive  had  gone  into  the  town,  someone 
would  have  driven  her  to  the  Lodge,  or  else 
sent  word  to  Jim  Colter  or  the  Ralston  girls 
that  she  was  in  safe-keeping  for  the  night. 
A  prairie  snowstorm  was  approaching  and 
few  people  would  have  cared  to  trust  them- 
selves to  a  ten-mile  drive  at  this  hour  of  the 
winter  evening. 

But  Olive  did  not  think  of  further  danger. 
Ten  miles  seemed  to  her  to  be  so  near  home 
that  she  could  not  bear  a  second's  delay  in 
trying  to  reach  there.  For  the  first  few  miles 
she  ran  swiftly  along,  as  she  knew  the  trail  and 
it  was  not  too  dark  to  follow  it.     The  stinging 


272     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

wind  cut  her  face  and  at  times  the  snow 
blinded  her.  But  the  distance  was  only  a 
short  walk  for  a  girl  who  had  spent  all  her  life 
out  of  doors  in  the  great  West.  Yet  Olive 
should  have  known  what  a  snowstorm  in 
Wyoming,  with  a  heavy  pall  of  gray  clouds 
and  a  scudding  blast,  meant. 

After  a  while,  her  feet  in  her  worn  shoes  felt 
like  wooden  pegs  stumping  on  the  frozen 
earth.  Her  hands  had  lost  all  feeling,  al- 
though she  managed  to  draw  the  rabbit-skin 
furs  that  Carlos  had  given  her,  over  her 
head  and  to  keep  her  hands  under  them.  The 
snow  no  longer  fell  in  flakes  but  in  white 
sheets,  lashed  and  driven  by  the  force  of  the 
storm. 

The  trail  across  the  plains  to  the  Ralston 
Ranch  was  quickly  hidden.  Mountains  of 
snow  piled  up  in  front  of  Olive,  deep  gullies 
appeared  at  her  feet,  where  the  land  was 
usually  as  level  as  a  table,  and  she  had  no  idea 
in  which  direction  she  should  try  to  travel. 
But  she  fought  her  way  on,  thinking  perhaps 
that  another  wanderer  might  overtake  her, 
or  that  she  might  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  lights 
of  some  ranch  house.  If  she  could  find  an 
objective  point  ahead  of  her,  she  felt  that  she 


A  VOICE  IN  THE  NIGHT  273 

might  get  to  it.     But  to  move  blindly  in  a 
circle  of  snow,  brought  no  hope  of  any  relief. 

Yet  Olive  knew  she  must  keep  moving  if 
she  wished  to  live-  She  did  not  suffer  the 
same  agony  from  the  cold,  that  she  had  at 
first.  The  wind  blew  her  about,  as  though 
she  had  been  a  bit  of  paper.  She  staggered 
and  fell  in  the  snowdrifts,  got  up  and  press- 
ed on  wishing  that  even  a  wild  animal 
would  scurry  past  her  on  the  way  to  its 
retreat.  But  animals  are  always  wiser  than 
human  beings  before  the  approach  of  a  storm. 
Every  head  of  cattle,  every  horse  on  the 
plains,  every  beast  in  the  forest  had  found 
a  rude  shelter.  Olive  felt  herself  entirely 
alone  in  a  savage,  white  world. 

But  in  quiet  natures  like  Olive's,  there  is  a 
wonderful  power  of  resistance.  She  had 
endured  so  much,  she  had  learned  the  forti- 
tude that  comes  with  misfortune. 

She  prayed  silently  through  the  hours  she 
struggled.  There  were  moments  when  she 
believed  she  spied  the  light  of  Rainbow  Lodge 
gleaming  on  the  cruel  surface  of  the  snow. 
She  would  fight  her  way  to  this  place,  only  to 
discover  that  her  own  blind  desire  had  led 
her  astray. 

18 


274     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

Night  came  on,  but  there  was  little  change 
from  the  twilight.  The  few  stars  that  broke 
through  the  clouds  only  made  the  way  more 
blinding. 

Olive's  patience,  Carlos'  planning  seemed 
to  have  been  in  vain. 

Again  Olive  dreamed  she  saw  some  lights 
ahead  of  her.  Her  mind  was  no  longer  clear. 
She  could  not  remember  why  she  was  out  alone 
in  the  snow.  She  cried  for  Jack,  when  she 
had  the  strength,  but  the  tears  froze  on  her 
face. 

Olive  reached  out  her  arms  toward  her 
vision  of  the  lights  of  Rainbow  Lodge.  She 
was  either  too  blind  or  too  utterly  spent  to  see 
the  snowbank  in  front  of  her,  as  suddenly  it 
shut  out  her  mirage  of  home.  The  girl  gave 
a  cry  of  despair  with  all  the  feeble  strength 
that  was  left  in  her  and  tumbled  headlong  into 
the  cold  embrace  of  the  snow.  But  the  snow 
was  no  longer  cold.  It  was  strangely  warm 
and  she  was  shut  away  from  the  cruel  winds. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


JACK   IS  HAPPY. 


"r^HILLUNS,  it's  time  for  bed,"  Cousin 
Ruth  announced  softly.  "Frieda  has 
been  asleep  in  my  arms  for  the  last  ten  minutes. 
Perhaps  I  can  tumble  her  in  bed  without 
waking  her,  she  is  so  frightened  at  the  storm. " 

Jean  glanced  up  at  the  clock  over  the 
living-room  mantle.  "Do  let's  wait  a  little 
while  longer?"  she  begged.  "  I  am  just  at 
the  most  thrilling  part  of  my  book  and  I  am 
bound  to  finish  it  before  I  go  to  bed.  Jack, 
you  stay  here  with  me,  if  Cousin  Ruth  is  going 
with  Frieda.  I  don't  like  to  sit  up  alone. 
This  storm  is  a  terror!  Listen  how  the  wind 
howls  down  the  chimney.  I  hope  our  stock 
won't  be  frozen  to  death  to-night." 

Ruth  led  Frieda  gently  out  of  the  sitting- 
room  while  Jack  got  up  and  wandered  to  the 
window.  But  the  frost  covered  the  glass. 
She  scratched  a  little  space  away  with  a  hair- 
pin, but  there  was  nothing  to  see  outside  save 
the  snow. 

Jack  walked  restlessly  up  and  down  the 

(275) 


276     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

room  for  a  minute.  It  was  just  nine  o'clock 
and  she  did  not  feel  like  going  to  bed.  She 
could  not  read  as  Jean  was  doing.  These 
terrible  western  storms,  that  came  once  or 
twice  every  winter,  always  rilled  her  with 
foreboding.  Jack  was  too  good  a  rancher 
not  to  understand  that  they  caused  great 
suffering  and  loss  among  the  cattle.  The  rude 
corrals,  which  the  ranchmen  built  for  their 
stock,  could  not  save  them  on  a  night  like  this. 

Jack  dropped  down  on  her  knees  before  their 
book  shelves  and  began  to  look  over  the  collec- 
tion of  volumes  that  had  once  belonged  to  her 
father.  The  books  were  the  same  ones  that 
Jean  had  found  in  her  uncle's  trunk  and 
brought  to  the  living-room  to  impress  their 
new  governess  on  the  day  of  her  arrival  at 
Rainbow  Lodge.  Shep  got  up  from  his  warm 
place  by  the  fire  and  trotted  over  to  He  down 
by  Jack,  seeming  to  know  that  she  was 
worried  and  wishing  to  offer  her  his  subtle 
sympathy. 

Jack  turned  over  the  pages  of  half  a  dozen 
books,  shaking  them,  so  that  every  leaf  flut- 
tered apart. 

Jean  glanced  over  at  her  cousin.  Jack  was 
quieter  and  older  than  ever  to-night.     "  What 


JACK  IS  HAPPY  277 

are  you  doing,  Jack,  want  me  to  help  you?" 
Jean  asked  lovingly. 

"No,  Jean,  I  am  not  doing  anything 
special,"  Jack  replied  quietly.  "I  am  just 
killing  time." 

But  Jean  knew  that  her  cousin  was  search- 
ing once  more  for  the  lost  title  deed  to  Rain- 
bow Ranch  and  she  had  gone  to  the  window 
to  gaze  out  on  the  snow  with  the  thought  of 
Olive  on  her  mind.  Even  light-hearted  Jean 
sighed.  It  was  only  a  few  days  before 
Christmas. 

Jack  was  getting  up  off  the  floor,  when  a 
sound  startled  her.  She  jumped  quickly  to 
her  feet.     Old  Shep  gave  a  long  howl. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  you,  Jacqueline 
Ralston?"  Jean  demanded  pettishly,  partly 
because  she  had  just  been  so  sorry  for  Jack. 
"  You  almost  scared  me  out  of  my  wits." 

Jack  was  pointing  toward  the  window.  "  I 
heard  a  noise  outside  in  the  snow,"  she 
exclaimed  excitedly. 

"  You  did  no  such  thing,  Jack,  it's  only  the 
wind  howling.  It  has  been  making  a  racket 
for  the  last  four  hours.  I  don't  see  why  you 
are  so  surprised  all  of  a  sudden.  I  heard 
nothing  unusual,"  Jean  protested. 


278     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

"But  it  wasn't  the  wind  I  heard,  Jean. 
This  noise  was  quite  different.  Shep  heard 
it  too,  see  how  queerly  he  is  acting,"  Jack 
argued. 

Old  Shep  had  gone  to  the  front  door  of  the 
ranch  house  and  was  stretched  against  it  with 
his  fore  paws  resting  on  the  door. 

"Well,  if  you  didn't  hear  the  wind,  it  is 
some  animal  that  has  seen  the  lights  in  the 
Lodge  and  stolen  near  here  for  protection. 
Do  sit  down,  Jack,  you  make  me  dreadfully 
nervous,  staring  like  that.  You  know  you 
haven't  heard  the  sound  a  second  time.  Let's 
go  to  bed." 

Jean  slipped  her  arm  about  Jack's  waist, 
but  Jack  pushed  her  gently  off.  "  I  am  going 
out  in  the  snow  to  find  out  what  that  cry 
meant,  Jean,"  Jack  announced  decisively. 
"  Suppose  it  was  an  animal,  I  can't  allow  any- 
thing to  die  just  outside  our  home  to-night." 

Jean  clung  to  her  cousin's  skirts.  "You 
shan't  go  out  that  door,  Jack, "  Jean  avowed. 
"  You  will  be  blown  off  your  feet  by  the  wind. 
You  will  be  frozen.  If  a  wild  animal  has 
come  out  of  the  woods  for  shelter,  you'll  be 
torn  to  pieces."  Jean  pictured  every  horri- 
ble fate  that  she  could  imagine  overtaking 


JACK  IS  HAPPY  279 

Jacqueline.  But  Jack  was  quickly  buttoning 
up  her  overcoat  and  tying  a  thick  woolen 
scarf  about  her  head. 

"  I  won't  stay  out  but  a  minute,  Jean  dear," 
she  returned.  "  Shep  will  go  with  me.  He 
will  keep  me  from  getting  hurt." 

"  I'll  call  Cousin  Ruth,  Jack,  you  are  the 
most  obstinate  person  in  the  world ! "  Jean  ex- 
claimed passionately,  but  Jack  had  wrenched 
open  the  big  front  door  of  the  ranch  house, 
and  plunged  out  into  the  night.  A  gust  of 
snow  swept  into  the  wide  hall.  Straining  with 
all  her  might,  Jack  closed  the  door  back  of  her, 
so  that  Jean  should  not  feel  the  fury  of  the 
storm.  With  Shep  by  her  side,  Jack  faced 
the  white  wilderness  of  snow. 

Jean  ran  down  the  hall  toward  Ruth's 
room,  but  Ruth  had  already  heard  the  noise 
and  joined  her.  For  an  instant  the  two 
women  awaited  Jack's  return.  They  believed 
that  she  would  come  into  the  house  as  soon  as 
she  saw  what  lay  ahead  of  her. 

Jack  seized  the  lantern,  that  swung  always 
above  the  door  of  their  Lodge.  The  light  was 
out,  but  by  crouching  down  and  turning 
her  back  to  the  wind,  Jack  managed  to  re- 
light it.     She  knew  the  light  would  soon  blow 


280     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

out  again,  but  for  a  minute  it  would  serve 
a  purpose. 

Jack  climbed  off  the  porch.  Shep  ploughed 
in  front  of  her.  Jack  swung  her  lantern  once, 
twice  it  flashed,  then  the  wind  blew  it  out. 

But  in  that  space  of  time  she  saw  some- 
thing dark  in  a  mound  of  snow  not  far  from 
the  house.  Jack  felt  her  way  toward  it, 
guided  by  an  overwhelming  instinct.  Shep 
shook  all  over,  not  with  the  cold,  but  with  the 
foreknowledge  of  what  was  ahead  of  them. 

When  Jack  reached  Olive,  Shep  had  already 
covered  the  still  body  with  his  own  warm  one. 
Jack  pushed  Shep  away.  She  had  to  feel 
under  the  drifting  snow  before  she  knew  the 
object  she  touched  was  a  human  being,  but  it 
was  not  until  her  hand  touched  the  delicate 
frozen  face,  that  she  realized  that  Olive  was 
found  at  last. 

Jack's  cry  for  help  brought  Ruth,  Jean,  and 
from  the  kitchen,  Aunt  Ellen  and  Zack. 
There  was  such  agony  in  Jack's  tones,  that 
they  all  believed  some  horrible  thing  had 
happened  to  her. 

The  women  got  Olive  inside  the  house,  not 
one  of  them  having  an  idea  that  she  was 
alive,  but  no  one  dared  to  tell  Jack  so.     They 


JACK  IS  HAPPY  281 

stripped  off  the  girPs  clothes  and  found  the 
little  sandal- wood  box  hidden  inside  her  dress. 

If  Jack  had  not  already  learned  to  love  Ruth 
Drew,  she  would  have  begun  to  care  for  her 
to-night.  For  Ruth  knew  exactly  what  to  do 
for  Olive.  She  would  not  let  the  girls  and 
Aunt  Ellen  carry  Olive  too  near  the  fire. 
She  sent  Uncle  Zack  off  to  find  Jim  Colter. 
Ruth  and  Jack  rubbed  Olive's  stiff  body  with 
snow,  until  their  hands  felt  almost  as  numb 
as  hers  and  forced  hot  tea  between  her 
clenched  teeth.  By  and  by  Aunt  Ellen  and 
Jean  were  allowed  to  bring  warm  blankets 
and  hot  irons. 

At  last  the  blue,  stark  look  left  Olive's  face. 
It  was  Jack  who  discovered  a  tiny  bit  of  color 
in  her  lips.  Jack  flung  herself  on  her  knees 
and  hardly  knowing  what  she  was  doing, 
breathed  all  the  warm,  vibrant  breath  of  her 
own  vigorous  body  into  Olive's  almost  frozen 
lungs. 

After  another  hour,  Olive  stirred  and  moved 
one  hand.  She  half  opened  her  black  eyes. 
"I  am  all  right,  Jack,"  she  whispered.  "I 
have  got  home  at  last." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


CHRISTMAS    EVE. 


ITS  the  most  beautiful  one  we  have  ever 
had,  Jim;  I'm  so  glad,"  Jack  declared 
happily. 

Jim  beat  the  snow  from  his  coat  and  folded  his 
arms  proudly.  "  It  took  all  day  to  get  it,  Jack, 
but  it's  worth  it.     Where  are  the  other  girls?" 

Jim  Colter  and  Jacqueline  were  standing  at 
the  base  of  a  wonderful  pine  tree,  whose  top 
pressed  against  the  ceiling  of  the  living-room 
at  Rainbow  Lodge.  The  frost  still  clung  to 
the  tree  and  the  snow  and  icicles  melted  into 
long  chains  of  diamonds,  as  they  fell  in  drops 
of  crystal  clearness  to  the  floor. 

"The  girls  are  in  Cousin  Ruth's  room  at 
work,"  Jack  answered.  "Olive  and  Frieda 
have  promised  not  to  look  at  the  tree  until  the 
evening.  We  are  going  to  have  everything 
in  pure  white,  a  regular  German  Christmas 
tree,  in  honor  of  Frieda's  birthday  and  her 
name.  There  is  a  white  world  inside  and  out 
and  we  shall  be  at  peace  for  to-night  at  least," 
Jack  ended  with  a  little  sigh. 

(282) 


CHRISTMAS  EVE  283 

Jim  moved  nearer  to  the  tree  and  shook 
one  of  the  branches  until  the  bits  of  frost  fell 
to  the  ground  with  a  soft  tinkle  like  the  far-off 
music  of  sleigh  bells.  He  kept  his  clouded 
blue  eyes  turned  away  from  Jack's. 

Jack  slipped  her  arm  through  his  and 
pressed  it  affectionately. 

"Never  you  mind,  Jim,  I  didn't  mean  to 
be  doleful/'  Jack  persisted.  "I'm  not  a  bit, 
really.  Olive  is  all  right,  and  you've  seen 
that  that  wretched  Josef  and  old  Laska  have 
been  sent  away,  so  they  can't  annoy  her  any 
more.  And  I  think  it's  perfectly  great  that 
we  are  going  to  have  such  a  lovely  Christmas 
to-night  as  we  have  hardly  ever  had  before! 
Suppose  it  is  our  last  one  at  the  Lodge,  we 
will  have  it  to  remember!  But,  Mr.  Colter/' 
Jack  danced  away  from  Jim  and  made  him 
a  mock  curtsy,  "  you  may  kindly  observe 
that  I  haven't  begun  to  pack  up  the  furniture 
at  the  Lodge  just  yet.  We  never  say  die, 
do  we,  Jim?  I  think  I  will  have  that  motto 
engraved  on  a  coat  of  arms  for  Rainbow 
Ranch." 

Jim  nodded  approvingly.  "  It's  a  pretty 
good  sentiment,  Jack,"  he  agreed,  as  he 
started  toward  the  door.     "  I  must  be  off  now, 


284     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

but  Fll  be  back  to-night,  promptly  at  seven, 
for  the  festivities." 

But  Jack  clung  to  him.  "See  here,  Jim, 
you  can't  go  so  soon.  You  haven't  said  hello 
to  Cousin  Ruth  or  showed  her  the  tree.  You 
know  you  want  to  see  her.  She  has  had  a  bad 
cold  ever  since  the  night  we  found  Olive  and 
it  is  only  polite  that  you  should  tell  her  you 
are  glad  she  is  well. "  Jack's  tones  were  per- 
fectly serious  and  her  expression  as  innocent 
as  a  baby's. 

Jim  flushed  a  little  angrily.  "No.  I  don't 
want  to  see  her,  at  least  not  particularly. 
Why  should  I?"  Jim  demanded  awkwardly. 
"  That  is,— " 

Ruth  was  standing  at  the  living-room  door 
with  her  arms  full  of  mysterious  packages. 
She  laughed  and  came  into  the  room,  glad 
that  Jim  looked  as  awkward  as  she  felt  on 
the  day  of  her  first  horseback  ride  with  him. 

When  Ruth  was  putting  down  her  packages 
Jack  winked  solemnly  at  Jim,  and  in  return 
for  his  irritated  glance  at  her,  she  slipped 
quietly  out  of  the  room. 

All  the  way  down  the  hall  Jack  was  smiling 
to  herself.  "  Wouldn't  it  be  too  funny  if  old 
Jim  should  fall  in  love  with  Cousin  Ruth?" 


CHRISTMAS  EVE  285 

she  thought.  "  Goodness  knows  why  he  is  so 
touchy  about  her!  She  has  been  awfully  nice 
to  him,  since  he  taught  her  to  ride  horseback, 
but  the  friendlier  she  is,  the  queerer  he 
behaves. 

'Oh,  young  Lochinvar  has  come  out  of  the  west, 
Of  all  the  wide  world,  his  steed  is  the  best/  " 

Jack  quoted,  apropos  of  nothing,  as  she 
joined  the  other  girls  in  Ruth's  bedroom. 

Olive,  Jean  and  Frieda  were  working 
industriously.  Over  in  the  corner  there  was 
a  little  mound  that  looked  like  a  pile  of  snow 
but  was  only  the  strings  of  popcorn  for  the 
Christmas  tree.  Jean  was  fashioning  an  im- 
mense silver  star.  Olive  and  Frieda  were 
filling  boxes  of  white  paper,  decorated  with 
the  initials,  "R.  G.,"  with  homemade  taffy 
candy  and  chocolate  fudge.  The  ranch  girls 
had  not  invited  their  neighbors  to  their 
Christmas  eve  party,  but  the  cowboys  who 
worked  on  their  ranch  were  coming  up  to  the 
Lodge  to  wish  them  good  luck. 

Jack  dropped  down  on  the  floor  and  deliber- 
ately began  devouring  the  fudge  from  a  big 
China  dish.  "Don't  work  too  hard,  Olive," 
Jack  insisted,  reaching  up  to  pop  a  piece  of 


286     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

candy  into  Olive's  mouth.  "  Remember  you 
are  not  very  strong  yet. " 

Olive  only  laughed.  She  was  a  little  paler 
than  when  she  first  came  to  the  ranch  in  the 
early  autumn,  but  her  eyes  were  serene  and 
untroubled  and  she  looked  far  less  timid  and 
shy.  Since  finding  her  mother's  picture  in 
the  possession  of  old  Laska,  Olive  felt  that 
she  was  more  like  the  other  girls  and  the 
thought  that  old  Laska  had  any  real  claim 
on  her,  no  longer  worried  her. 

"This  isn't  very  hard  work,  Jack,"  Olive 
replied  gaily.  "  And  there  is  still  a  lot  for  us 
to  do  to  be  ready  for  to-night.  Just  think, 
this  will  be  the  first  real  Christmas  tree  I 
have  ever  seen!" 

"  Well,  we  won't  have  so  much  work  to  do, 
Olive,  if  Jack  eats  all  the  candy,"  Jean  re- 
marked severely.  "And  Jack,  perhaps  if 
you  would  help  Frieda  and  Olive,  instead  of 
talking  so  much,  they  wouldn't  have  such  a 
lot  to  do." 

Jack  flung  a  cotton  snowball  at  Jean. 
"Bear  with  me,  sweet  coz,"  she  pleaded 
cheerfully.  "  I  don't  know  just  why,  girls, 
but  I  feel  so  kind  of  happy  to-day,  that  I  sup- 
pose I  am  silly.     I  believe  all  the  clouds  have 


CHRISTMAS  EVE  287 

passed  over  our  benighted  heads  and  the 
Rainbow  Arch  of  Promise  is  just  over  the 
Lodge." 

Jean  pointed  scornfully  to  the  winter  land- 
scape outside  the  window. 

"  It  looks  rather  like  we  might  have  a 
rainbow  after  the  summer  shower :  don't  you 
think  so,  Olive?"  she  inquired.  But  she  bent 
over  and  crowned  Jack  with  a  wreath  of  silver 
tinsel  and  went  on  with  her  work,  smiling  as 
though  she  had  more  faith  in  Jack's  prediction 
than  she  cared  to  confess. 

"Ah,  Jean,"  Jack  went  on,  "don't  you 
know  there  is  a  legend  that  somewhere  there 
is  a  wonderful  land  w^here  all  the  rainbows 
that  have  ever  been  or  ever  will  be,  drift  to 
and  fro,  like  beautiful  colored  flowers?  Per- 
haps one  of  these  rainbows  will  find  us  to-night 
in  spite  of  the  weather. "  Jack's  face  softened 
at  her  own  pretty  fancy. 

All  day  the  girls  worked  and  whispered  and 
laughed.  Ruth  and  Jean  and  Jack  decorated 
the  great  Christmas  tree.  The  gifts  were 
piled  up  under  the  tree,  for  nothing  was  to  be 
allowed  to  mar  the  perfect  whiteness  of  its 
decorations.  Only  Ruth's  presents  were  to 
be  given  just  before  supper  time.     She  in- 


288     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

sisted  that  this  was  absolutely  necessary,  t/r 
else  they  would  lose  half  their  value. 

When  Jack  came  into  her  room  at  about 
five  o'clock  to  get  ready  for  the  evening,  she 
saw  what  Ruth  had  meant.  Lying  on  the 
foot  of  her  bed  was  the  prettiest  dress  Jack 
had  ever  owned  in  her  life.  It  was  very 
simple,  of  a  soft  white  material  like  crepe, 
with  a  lovely  band  of  silver  embroidery  about 
the  low,  square  neck  and  around  the  waist 
and  skirt.  Jean  was  busy  in  the  kitchen. 
But  Jack  saw  that  her  dress  was  of  delicate, 
pink  cashmere,  the  color  Jean  most  loved. 

Jack  slipped  into  her  costume  very  quickly 
and  stole  softly  into  the  great  closed  living- 
room,  thinking  she  would  find  Ruth  there. 
She  had  no  idea  how  beautiful  she  looked. 

The  room  was  empty.  The  pine  tree  stood 
in  one  corner,  lifting  its  noble  green  branches 
hung  in  dim  festoons  and  covered  with 
myriads  of  small  white  candies.  It  was  quite 
dark.  Only  the  fire,  that  never  went  out  all 
winter  long  at  the  Lodge,  flickered  and  danced 
and  threw  fantastic  shadows  over  the  girl 
who  was  standing  near  the  Christmas  tree. 

Jack's  eyes  were  misty  as  she  gazed  about 
her.     Her  loves  were  not  so  very  many,  but 


CHRISTMAS  EVE  289 

they  were  deep  and  strong.  She  cared  for 
the  old  ranch  house  more  than  most  girls 
would  for  a  fairy  palace. 

Suddenly  Jack  heard  a  stamping  on  the 
porch  just  outside  the  front  door  and  Shep's 
quick  bark.  She  ran  swiftly  to  open  it.  She 
supposed  Jim  had  come  up  to  the  house  earlier 
than  he  had  promised.  But  it  was  dark  and 
the  glare  of  the  snow  for  a  moment  blinded 
her. 

Frank  Kent  held  out  his  hand.  "May  I 
come  in,  Miss  Ralston?"  he  asked.  "I 
know  it's  late,  but  I  have  tramped  all  the 
way  over  here  and  it's  taken  a  long  time.  I 
want  to  tell  you  something  and  I  want  to 
say  good-bye." 

Jack  hurried  Frank  in  near  the  fire.  He 
had  been  to  the  Lodge  once  since  Olive  was 
found,  but  the  girls  had  not  seen  or  heard  of 
him  in  several  days. 

Jack  lit  the  candles  on  the  mantelpiece 
and  then  turned  to  smile  at  her  guest.  Frank 
stared  at  her  boyishly  and  then :  "  Gee,  Miss 
Ralston,"  he  exclaimed.  "  If  you  don't  mind 
my  saying  it,  you  look  perfectly  ripping!" 

But  Jack  was  regarding  Frank  anxiously. 
He  had  a  deep  and  rather  unbecoming  bruise 

19 


290     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

over  one  eye  and  the  other  side  of  his  face  was 
somewhat  swollen. 

"What  on  earth  is  the  matter  with  you, 
Frank,  Mr.  Kent,  I  mean?"  Jack  demanded. 
"You  look  like  you  had  been  in  a  fight." 
And  Jack  laughed  at  the  thought  of  so  well- 
bred  a  fellow  as  Frank  Kent  engaging  in  such 
a  small-boy  occupation. 

"  I  have.  That  is  what  I  came  over  to  tell 
you  about."  Frank  replied.  "That  is,  I 
didn't  come  to  tell  you  about  the  fight,  but 
of  something  that  led  to  it.  I  shall  not  go 
back  to  the  Norton  ranch  again.  I  am 
through  with  those  people  forever."  Frank 
dropped  into  a  chair  which  Jack  drew  for- 
ward. "  You  see,  Miss  Ralston,  it's  like  this. 
I  have  been  knowing  for  some  time  that  Dan 
Norton,  Jr.,  was  a  cad,  and  I  have  had  a  good 
many  scores  to  settle  with  him.  But  I  didn't 
know  that  he  and  his  father  were  thieves 
until  to-day.  I  happened  to  be  in  the  room 
next  Mr.  Norton's  study,  when  I  heard  Dan 
and  the  old  man  talking  about  your  ranch. 
I  don't  say  I  actually  hurried  away,  but  I 
wasn't  going  to  eavesdrop.  Just  as  I  started 
to  clear  out,  however,  I  overheard  Mr.  Norton 
say :  ' Well,  we've  fixed  them  good  and  plenty, 


CHRISTMAS  EVE  291 

haven't  we,  Dan,  Jr.  Rainbow  Ranch  is  the 
same  as  ours!  I  tell  you  might  is  right  in 
this  country,  my  lad/  I  kind  of  stopped  then, 
Miss  Jack,"  Frank  added.  "  I  didn't  exactly 
like  the  round  of  what  Mr.  Norton  said." 

Jack  had  come  close  to  Frank,  but  her 
hands  were  clasped  behind  her  to  hide  her 
impatience.  "Do  go  on,  please,"  she  urged 
breathlessly. 

"  Then  Dan  answered :  ' You  are  sure  right, 
Father.  We  are  going  to  prove  that  Rain- 
bow Ranch  belongs  to  us  a  whole  lot  easier 
than  if  it  really  did.'  I  heard  just  exactly 
those  words,  Miss  Ralston,"  Frank  remarked, 
quietly.  "  And  I  am  ready  to  swear  to  them 
in  any  court  of  law." 

"Oh-h,"  Jack  bit  her  lips  to  hide  their 
trembling  and  a  hot  color  flooded  her  face. 
"What  did  you  hear  next?"  she  pleaded. 
"  Do  go  on." 

"I  didn't  hear  anything  more,"  Frank 
answered.  "  I  marched  into  their  study  and 
told  Mr.  Norton  and  Dan  exactly  what  I 
thought  of  them.  Then  Dan  and  I  got  to 
using  some  language  and  we  rather  broke 
up  the  furniture  for  a  while.  Of  course  I 
can't  stay  in  the  house  of  a  man  whom  I 


292     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

know  to  be  a  rogue.  But  will  you  tell  your 
overseer,  Mr.  Colter,  that  I  won't  get  too  far 
out  of  this  neighborhood  to  appear  when  your 
suit  about  the  ownership  of  Rainbow  Ranch 
comes  into  court."  Frank  looked  around 
for  his  hat.  "  I  hope  you  will  have  a  very 
happy  Christmas/ '  he  said.  He  held  himself 
so  erect,  with  a  dignity  of  grace  and  breeding 
such  as  Jack  had  rarely  seen.  Before  Jack 
realized  what  was  happening,  Frank  was  out 
of  the  room. 

For  the  second  time  in  their  acquaintance, 
she  ran  after  him.  This  time  she  put  her 
hand  on  his  and  fairly  dragged  him  back  with 
her. 

"Oh,  please,  please  don't  go.  You  must 
stay  and  have  Christmas  at  the  Lodge  with 
us,"  Jack  entreated.  "We  have  plenty  of 
room  and  we  would  so  love  to  have  you. 
Do  wait  here  until  I  go  and  find  Cousin  Ruth, 
I  know  she  will  be  more  apt  to  persuade  you 
to  stay." 

Needless  to  say,  Cousin  Ruth  was  successful 
and  at  eight  o'clock,  the  ranch  girls,  Cousin 
Ruth,  Frank  Kent,  Jim  Colter,  Aunt  Ellen, 
Uncle  Zack,  and  six  bashful  cowboys  were 
gathered  about  the  mammoth  Christmas  tree. 


CHRISTMAS  EVE  293 

Frieda  was  to  light  the  candles.  She  looked 
like  a  plump  little  German  fairy  in  her  new 
white  frock,  with  her  long  braids  of  flaxen 
hair. 

But  Frieda  could  not  reach  up  to  the  tall 
candles  on  the  big  tree  and  she  would  not 
allow  either  Jim  or  Frank  to  lift  her  up. 

On  the  largest  chair  in  the  room,  Frieda 
could  tiptoe  up  to  almost  the  tallest  row  of 
candles.  But  just  under  a  little  wax  figure 
of  the  Virgin  and  the  Christ  Child,  Jean  had 
set  seven  in  a  circle.  These  were  the  top- 
most glory  of  the  tree  and  Frieda's  crowning 
ambition  and  were  the  only  candles  she  could 
not  possibly  reach  from  her  chair. 

The  little  Christmas-eve  girl  slipped  onto 
the  floor,  and  before  any  of  the  men  in  the 
room  guessed  what  she  was  after,  dragged 
out  from  the  book  shelves  an  immense  old 
law  book,  bound  in  worn  brown  leather. 
Frieda  started  gallantly  across  the  room 
with  it.  But  it  dropped  from  her  small  hands 
and  scattered  yellow  parchment  leaves  over 
the  floor.  The  back  of  the  book  ripped  off 
and  Frieda  held  only  the  leather  cover.  Out  of 
this,  from  a  kind  of  inner  pocket,  a  folded  sheet 
of  paper  fluttered  and  fell  at  Frieda's  feet. 


294     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

The  company  crowded  to  the  rescue. 
Blonde  heads  and  brown  heads  bumped  into 
each  other  in  picking  up  the  leaves.  Frieda 
started  to  the  fire  with  the  old  book  cover 
and  the  folded  paper.  She  gave  them  both 
a  toss  toward  the  flames,  but  the  paper 
fluttered  back  to  her  feet. 

Frieda  laughed  and  picked  it  up  again. 
"  This  paper  won't  be  burned  up,  Jack,"  she 
exclaimed.  "  Let's  light  it  in  the  Christmas 
candles.,, 

Jack  caught  Frieda's  hand.  "  May  I  look 
at  it,  dear?"  she  asked  gently. 

Frieda  consented  to  have  Frank  lift  her  to 
the  row  of  lights  on  top  of  their  Christmas 
tree.  Jim  was  talking  to  Cousin  Ruth,  Jean 
was  distributing  boxes  of  candy,  and  it  was 
Olive  who  put  her  arm  around  Jack. 

"  What  is  it,  dear?  What  has  happened?" 
she  whispered.  "  Are  you  glad  or  sorry  over 
something?"  It  was  no  wonder  Olive  asked. 
Jack's  eyes  were  streaming  in  tears,  but  under 
them  shone  a  kind  of  radiance.  Her  face  was 
white  one  minute  and  then  glowed  with  a 
beautiful  rose  color. 

"Oh,  I  am  so  happy,  happy,  Olive!"  she 
cried,  throwing  her  arms  around  Olive  and 


CHRISTMAS  EVE  295 

forgetting  the  rest  of  the  company.  "See, 
we  have  the  most  wonderful  Christmas  gift. 
Frieda  has  found  our  deed  to  Rainbow  Ranch! 
I  believe  somehow  that  Father  sent  it  to  us 
to-night." 

But  Jim  and  Cousin  Ruth  and  everybody 
in  the  room  had  heard  Jack. 

Jim  lifted  Jack  up  in  the  chair,  which 
Frieda  had  given  up.  She  waved  her  won- 
derful paper  before  her  friends.  The  cowboys 
broke  into  a  prolonged  cheer.  The  girls 
cried  a  little,  because  they  couldn't  help  it. 
Jim  suddenly  looked  ten  years  younger  and 
what  he  whispered  to  Cousin  Ruth,  no  one 
ever  knew,  but  she  blushed  and  shook  her 
head. 

"Do  let's  dance  or  do  something,  quick !" 
Jean  exclaimed,  "  or  I  simply  can't  bear  it." 
She  ran  over  to  the  piano.  But  at  this 
moment  sleigh  bells  sounded  outside  and  a 
pair  of  horses  could  be  heard  stamping  on  the 
frozen  ground.  Then  another  sleigh  followed 
and  the  wide  hall  of  Rainbow  Lodge  was 
quickty  crowded  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Simpson, 
Harry  Pryor,  Laura,  who  for  once  looked 
friendly,  and  all  the  neighbors  of  the  ranch 
girls  for  miles  around. 


296     RANCH  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LODGE 

"  Villagers  all,  this  frosty  tide, 
Let  your  doors  swing  open  wide, 
Though  wind  may  follow  and  snow  beside, 
Yet  draw  us  in  by  your  fire  to  bide." 

Harry  Pryor  sang  the  first  verse  of  the  old 
Christmas  carol  alone.  Before  he  had  finished 
Jean  was  playing  the  air  softly  on  the  piano 
and  all  the  guests  joined  in  the  second  verse. 

"  Here  we  stand  in  the  snow  and  the  sleet, 
Blowing  fingers  and  stamping  feet, 
Come  from  far  away,  you  to  greet, 
You  by  the  fire  and  we  in  the  street, 
Bidding  you  joy  in  the  morning." 

"How  did  you  know,  Aunt  Sallie?  How 
could  you  have  come  to  congratulate  us  at 
just  the  right  moment?"  Jack  inquired  with 
a  puzzled  frown,  as  she  helped  Mrs.  Simpson 
out  of  her  wraps.  "  We  only  found  it  about  a 
minute  before." 

"Found  what?"  Mrs.  Simpson  demanded 
curiously.  But  the  next  instant  she  put  her 
comfortable  arms  about  Jack  and  hugged  her 
with  all  her  might. 

"  Of  course  we  didn't  know  you  had  found 
your  deed  to  Rainbow  Ranch,  child,"  Aunt 
Sallie  exclaimed.    "We  came  over  because 


CHRISTMAS  EVE  297 

we  were  afraid  yon  might  not  be  happy  this 
Christmas.  We  wanted  you  to  know  that 
we  all  meant  to  stand  by  you.  I  don't  think 
there  is  anything  in  this  State  that  we  have 
a  better  right  to  be  proud  of  than  our  ranch 
girls/ '  and  Aunt  Sallie  choked  a  little  with 
mixed  emotions. 

Jack  laughed  gaily.  "You  are  a  dear, 
Aunt  Sallie,"  she  answered  gratefully.  "  I 
don't  know  why  you  should  be  proud  of  us. 
But  anyhow,  it  is  lots  of  fun  to  be  a  Ranch 
Girl." 


The  Ranch  Girls  Series. 

The  story  of  the  four  Ranch  Girls  is  plainly 
just  beginning.  Girls  so  entirely  unlike  in 
temperament  and  ideals,  as  Jack,  Jean,  Olive 
and  Frieda,  cannot  fail  to  lead  lives  that  will 
develop  in  interest.  In  the  second  volume 
in  the  Ranch  Girls  Series,  which  will  be 
entitled,  "The  Ranch  Girls'  Pot  of  Gold," 
they  have  even  more  unusual  experiences 
and  adventures  and  are  brought  into  closer 
contact  with  the  real  life  of  the  West.  It  isn't 
possible  to  tell  exactly  what  the  Ranch  Girls 
will  do  in  this  second  book,  but  it  is  safe  to 
promise  that  it  will  be  something  even  more 
original  and  full  of  delightful  opportunity, 
than  running  a  ranch. 


Be 


■1 

C032003152 


